Young Vigneron's trophy, 2021 – the first wave of judging…

I was tasting a bunch of 19s this morning – single-blind as I knew the vintage and AOC. What was clear to me from 8 whites was that none of the aromas sung – one nearly – and that was one of the fresher wines. Essentially, this freshness was the ‘missing’ in this selection of modest crus…

A single crémant interlude – which tasted more like cider – heralded 9 reds for me.

The reds – there were 9 – where not ambitiously oaked for Bourgognes(!) – began with a bit more definition – certainly not all were deeply coloured, indeed this selection had more airy and open wines than dense, deeply coloured samples.

From these 17 samples of still wines, I had a preference for the reds today – only a small sample though…

I was tasting a bunch of 19s and 20s today – but when I got the chance to taste some older wines from magnum…

They started a bit rustic but became better and better and that’s the vintage – some great wines and many very good wines that are less sophisticated…

2015 Cave des Producteurs des Grands Vins de Fleurie, Fleurie
Now thats deeply coloured! An inky deep nose with that faint marsala accent of impending maturity that many BJs develop. Big, structural, still lots of drying tannin – some nice flavour complexity in the finish – but this structured wine begs at least 2 or three more years in the cellar.

2015 Marrans, Fleurie Clos du Pavillon
Also deeply coloured. A more compact nose with some faint pepper-spice. A width of chunky flavour here that’s both melting and mouth-watering – almost a 2015 that you can start drinking. Long finishing through a little tannin and a nice extra floral accent…

2015 Château de Fleurie, Fleurie La Madone Réserve Caveau
Lots of colour – of course! Quite a silky nose, faintly spiced and wide. Supple but becoming massive in the mouth and with plenty of tannin in the back end – wide, faintly but long finishing. Very good, but definitely for keeping a few years more…

2015 Thierry Condamine, Fleurie Les Moriers
Strongly coloured but transparent. The nose, like most here, showing the onset of faintly spiced maturity, the pepper more to the fore. Here is lovely energy – concentrated and structured but neither impose themselves too much. The finish is delicious – less dense but the most approachable of all these wines so far. Lovely wine.

2015 Lafarge-Vial, Fleurie La Joie du Palais
Plenty of colour – though a little younger looking than some. Round, fresher, sleeker, super texture, lots of flavour energy too. There’s some textural drag from the tannin – there’s no grain – which suggests waiting but this is, frankly already great – Bravo!

2015 Chateau Poncié, Fleurie les Moriers
The darkest, deepest, colour of all – almost saturated. A nose of some roundness and a slight Mushroom de Paris accent. Full, mouth-filling – but so fresh and saline accented. The tannin is beautifully fine and shows with practically no dryness. Only a suggestion of oak to be seen right at the end of the finish – the only wine where it’s visible. Also great, but very different from the Lafarge-Vial – bravo again!