I was frankly shocked at how much better this wine showed from magnum than from 750 ml and I had the chance to drink them side by side. The '89 Musigny from 750 ml is a wine I know quite well and I thought the 750 ml was showing better than any number of previous bottles but the magnum was so much better, which is to say more aromatically complex, richer and altogether more complex and finer that again, it's almost hard to believe that they're the same wine. By coincidence, Jean-Luc Pépin, the marketing director for the Domaine was present at this tasting and he agreed that it was an almost day and night difference. As I have not tasted this wine from magnum before, I cannot confirm that the '89 from magnum is always so much better but it certainly was this day. Not to mention considerably younger and if you are lucky enough to possess magnums, there is absolutely no rush, indeed quite the contrary because if they were in my cellar, I would be waiting for close to another decade.

The 1989 Musigny Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru was tasted from a half bottle, yet it replicated the rather disappointing performance of a bottle that I drank in 2008. Again, open-knit and leathery on the nose, a little mintier than I recall with that balsamic element in situ. The palate is chunky with good depth, simple compared to recent vintages with a menthol-tinged, rather animal-like finish. Drink up if you still have any bottles. This was not my favorite era for the domaine, so I was not surprised by this lackluster performance. Tasted March 2017.