Domaine Bienvenu (Irancy)

16.9.2014billn

DSC04449Tasted in Irancy with Baptiste Bienvenu, 10 June 2014.

Domaine Bienvenu
1 rue Soufflot
89290 Irancy
Tel. +33 3 86 42 22 51

Baptiste is the son of Serge Bienvenu and has officially been at this long-standing family domaine for the last two years “But in reality more like 10” he smiles. They farm about 20 hectares, the majority of which are in Irancy. There is a little Rosé produced too, from vines that neighbour their Irancy plantings. They have a little cesar, but that is only found in their Irancy ‘Palotte’ cuvée. Baptiste notes “I don’t think cesar adds very much, particularly when you already have good pinot noir.”

Production is at about the 100-100k bottles level – significantly the bulk of sales are within a 200km radius of Irancy – with much going into the restaurant trade and individuals who buy direct from the domaine.

The domaine has a lutte raisonné approach in the vines. The elevage for these wines is a ‘minimum 12 months’ (it has to be for AOC Irancy) in standard-size barrels, though some cuvées will receive up to 2 years. The ‘generic’ Irancy has the quickest elevage, and is also a blend of barrel and tank (elevage). Normally this Irancy is cropped at 50 hl/ha, but in both 2012 and 2013 delivered only 38 hl/ha – that said, Baptiste is very happy with the quality of these.

2012 Bourgogne Rosé
A relatively deep colour for this rosé – from a minimum 24 hours of skin contact – and a very pretty nose too, which is fresh, floral and very inviting. Seemingly full and round in the mouth – sweet but balanced too. Just a very enjoyable glass!

2011 Irancy
The nose is wide and airy – just a little diffuse though. In the mouth the impression is of roundness, though the flavour has a little savouriness to it. The flavour becomes nicer as it grows and peaks in the mid-palate – a nice extra dimension here – and easily the best part of the wine.

2012 Irancy Mazelots
Baptiste say that this wine needs 5-7 years before drinking.
The nose has both depth and clarity of nice fruit. Round in the mouth, with lovely fresh fruit flavour – croquant but with plenty of ripe structure. The flavour is long and airy, begging you to take another sip. Lovely – and you don’t need to wait 5 years-plus, despite the structure!
2012 Irancy Palotte
This is a wine whose aromas need coaxing from the glass, but the fruit is fine and pretty. Plenty of tannin here too, but the fruit behind it is quite lovely and shows an extra dimension of flavour in the mid-palate – again really super length, finishing all stony and herby. Super!

2005 Irancy Palotte
Already a little sous-bois on the nose, but the rest is clean and pretty too. Round in the mouth with a growing intensity of flavour. Very good concentration that delivers a wall of mid-palate flavour, that only very slowly fades in the finish. Another very tasty wine from this domaine!

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