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Mischief and Mayhem

by Mike Supple
published: 23 Sep 2008       | Comments

Wineries and marketing companies work hard and spend a lot of money creating labels that appeal to specific target markets. Some are wildly successful, such as the ongoing campaign of critter wines out of Australia, and some crash and burn horribly (or thankfully depending on what was in the bottle), such as the Twin Fin wine project targeting the "Millennial" generation with surfboard graphics and overly sweet wines.

The truly successful marketing campaigns not only provide flair for the product, but also bring quality, craftsmanship and history in the same package. A new project called Mischief and Mayhem does just this. The M and M wines bring fun and understanding to the difficult wines from Burgundy, France.

The basic concepts regarding wines from the Burgundy region are easy:

• there are only two grapes: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
• there are 4 quality tiers: Bourgogne, Villages, Premier Cru (1er Cru) and Grand Cru

In practice, Burgundy is much more complicated - in fact it's one of the most difficult wine regions to fully understand. There are hundreds of tiny vineyards within this small region, and each vineyard can be owned by dozens of different producers. Some make their own wines; others sell the grapes to larger producers. The end result is that any one producer can have 30 or more different wines, and any one vineyard can have 30 or more different producers. And unless you have a vast knowledge of the geography in Burgundy and how it affects a wine, looking at a label that says "2005 Thibualt Liger-Belair Nuits-St-Georges Les St Georges 1er Cru" may mean nothing to you, even though this is an absolutely excellent bottle of wine.

Addressing this issue are the minds behind Mischef and Mayhem, Michael Ragg and Michael Twelftree, two long-time wine enthusiasts with a wealth of experience in different sides of the industry. Their goal is to produce excellent wines at fair price points, while at the same time helping to demystify the region of Burgundy.

The connections that Ragg and Twelftree have made in Burgundy allow them to fulfill their first obligation of getting high quality grapes to produce excellent wines at accessible prices. What makes Mischief and Mayhem somewhat revolutionary is their labeling. To help the consumer, they are putting the important information on the labels in English. The wines are clearly labeled as "Chardonnay" or "Pinot Noir", and the labels on the back of the bottle bear useful information about the smells and flavors of the wines.

Writing full wine descriptions on labels is becoming more common with New World wines but is far from mainstream French practice. Wines from Burgundy are expensive, but they can also be truly excellent. Mischief and Mayhem is a serious effort that will benefit both the Burgundy newbie and the experienced buyer.

I was very excited for the chance to taste through the wines on September 8. Both the Bourgogne Chardonnay and Bourgogne Pinot Noir are extremely well crafted, extremely complex and high quality wines that over deliver for the money. The rest of the wines are well made, but are a bit on the pricey side. I look forward to more of their offerings in the future and hope that the US dollar will gain strength against the Euro to make some of the higher-end wines more accessible.

2005 Mischief and Mayhem Bourgogne Chardonnay - 89/A ~$25
Very rich and complex aromas. Hints of sweet cream and butter surround tropical mango, fresh lemon, ripe yellow pear and a touch of wet slate. Fresh and crisp in the mouth with a ton of ripe lemon and pear flavors over a strong mineral undercurrent that provides great structure. The finish is long with a crisp lemon zest attack.
This is a very complete and complex wine for a simple Bourgogne Blanc; great depth of fruit with a good dose of Burgundian minerality. Better quality than many of the more expensive Villages wines I have tried from different producers. It is enjoyable right now, and it has the structure and fruit to age at least another 4 - 7 years.

2006 Mischief and Mayhem Chablis 1er Cru - 88/B ~$43
Smoky pear and lime aromas over a strong mineral note. Light entry onto the palate with fairly low acidity. Candied lemon and pear flavors are supported by a fair amount of wet stone.
This is a well made Chablis, but somewhat softer in acid than expected, particularly from the 2006 vintage which is known for its high-acid wines. This will still last another 3 - 5 years without any problem, but can easily be enjoyed right now.

2006 Mischief and Mayhem Meursault - 89/C ~$82 Crisp citrus aromas with a touch of butter and cream. Very rich and clean on the palate with a lot of lemon and flint leading to a long, creamy finish.
This is well made and very crisp. Somebody looking for a classic Meursault may be a bit underwhelmed by this wine as it is not overly complex. However, it is a solid wine for anyone looking to make the transition from CA Chardonnays to something a little more European and Old World.

2005 Mischief and Mayhem Bourgogne Pinot Noir - 89/B+ ~$33 Very juicy aromas bursting with red cherry and strawberry, all surrounded by a classic touch of black truffle. Candied cherries lead the flavors in the mouth. Medium bodied, ripe tannins and a lot of great acidity supporting the fruit. A hint of earth under the cherry and berry fruit, with a long, lingering finish.
This is a great transitional wine for anyone who loves California and Oregon Pinot Noir. The wine retains the fresh fruit forward style of a New World Pinot while touching upon the darker earth and truffle notes so abundant in great Burgundy.

2006 Mischief and Mayhem Volnay Vieilles Vignes - 91/B- ~$67 Heady floral aromas of violets and a hint of crushed rose petals surrounds rich candied cherry, a touch of cola and a dark, brooding note of wet earth. Very Burgundian on the palate with velvety tannins and medium acidity. Great depth of fruit flavors surrounded by a rich smoky minerality. The finish is long and lingering with a core of black cherry fruit.
This is undeniably a great effort. The wine is ripe and balanced, and it combines fantastic nuances of ripe fruit with the earthy terroir notes needed for high class Burgundy. Not cheap, but for Burgundy of this quality it is priced very well. You will not see this kind of earth and minerality from a Pinot Noir outside of Burgundy, which is what justifies the price tag of a great wine like this.