Maison Lucien Le Moine

Overview

Maison Lucien Le Moine is a two-person micro-negoce established in 1999 by Mounir and Rotem Saouma, based in Beaune. The house focuses almost exclusively on the very best premier crus and grand crus in both red and white Burgundy. In Burghound Issue #102, Lucien Le Moine produced the highest-scoring wines in the entire issue, with three wines reaching (93-95) barrel range in 2024.

Appellations

• Grand crus: Chambertin-Clos de Beze, Chambertin, Bonnes Mares, Musigny, Mazis-Chambertin, Clos de la Roche, Clos St. Denis, Clos de Vougeot, Echezeaux
• Premier crus: Chambolle “Les Amoureuses”, Vosne “Aux Brulees”, Vosne “Suchots”, Gevrey “Lavaut St. Jacques”, Gevrey “Cazetiers”, Chambolle “Les Sentiers”, Chambolle “Haut Doix”, Pommard “Rugiens”, Pommard “Grands Epenots”, Nuits “Vaucrains”, Nuits “Les St. Georges”
• Also Volnay, Beaune, Givry 1er, Morgon

Key Wines

• Chambertin-Clos de Beze — (93-95) in 2024; “a Beze of understatement”; “terrific”
• Bonnes Mares — (93-95) in 2024; “seductively textured yet impressively powerful”
• Musigny — (93-95) in 2024; first time in 15 years sold retail (proceeds to cancer charities)
• Mazis-Chambertin — (92-95) in 2024; “impressive”
• Chambertin — (92-95) in 2024; “excellent potential”

Style Notes

Saouma’s approach produces wines of remarkable intensity and refinement. Mounir described 2024 as “a vintage of fear, where everything was magnified in intensity.” Despite difficulties, he considers the wines “wonderful” and “classic in every respect.” Meadows agrees: “he has made some very fine to excellent 2024s.”

2024 Vintage Notes (Burghound #102)

The highest-scoring producer in Burghound Issue #102 for 2024 barrel samples. Three wines at (93-95):

2024 Scores (barrel) — top wines:

• Chambertin-Clos de Beze: (93-95) — “a seriously lovely wine”; “Zen-like poise”; “class and grace”
• Bonnes Mares (Chambolle and Morey): (93-95) — “seductively textured yet impressively powerful”; “a wine to buy and forget you own it for at least a decade”
• Musigny (first retail release in 15 years; proceeds to charity): (93-95) — “very rich, full-bodied and velvet-textured”; “strikingly long finish that just goes on and on”; “classy juice”
• Mazis-Chambertin: (92-95) — “impressive”
• Chambertin: (92-95) — “excellent potential”
• Clos de la Roche: (92-94) — “potentially outstanding”
• Clos St. Denis (90+ year old vines): (92-94) — “really quite classy”
• Chambolle “Les Amoureuses”: (92-94) — “very classy juice”; “mouthfeel is like rolling rocks around your palate”
• Vosne “Aux Brulees”: (91-94) — “very Brulees in character”; built-to-age
• Vosne “Suchots”: (91-94) — “a wine of contrasts”; generous mid-palate, compact robust finish
• Gevrey “Lavaut St. Jacques”: (91-94) — “excellent and well-worth considering”
• Chambolle “Les Sentiers”: (91-94) — “excellent development potential”
• Pommard “Rugiens”: (91-93)
• Nuits “Vaucrains”: (91-93) — “lovely”; needs at least a decade
• Gevrey “Combe Aux Moines”: (91-93)
• Clos de Vougeot: (91-93)
• Nuits “Les St. Georges”: (90-93)
• Pommard “La Chaniere”: (90-93) — “one to consider”
• Volnay “Santenots”: (90-92)
• Pommard “Grands Epenots”: (90-92)
• Chambolle “Haut Doix”: (90-93)
• Beaune “Bressandes”: (89-91)
• Givry “1er”: (89-91)

My Tastings

(none yet)

Sources

• sources/articles/Burghound/Burghound Issue 102 - 2024 and 2023 Cote de Beaune Reds.txt