Batman Returns!
The home domaine already has the end of the harvest in mind – probably we will finish at lunchtime on Friday. Around the Côtes there are many approaches: Today de Montille finished harvesting their broad range of Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune wines whereas Grivot started today – there are others starting tomorrow, or Friday, or…
I spoke with a consulting oenologist today; he has a broad view of analyses from multiple domaines, so, with his help, I was trying to position the 2019 reds from an analytical standpoint. The level of the phenolics is comparable with other recent vintages (2015-2018), perhaps a little behind 2018 but also showing a little more acidity than that vintage. Of-course that’s based on the grapes already picked, not those that may be picked in the coming days, but you can see the ripeness of the reds from how easily the juice stains the hands and how quickly the colour is developing in the tanks, long before the onset of fermentation
Today our morning was filled with Bourgogne Blanc – from the same place as yesterday’s rouge – here is half a hectare worth. For this wine, it’s the second vintage and like last year, the main triage is for oïdium – a result of the vintage conditions and the vines being so young. These grapes had a fine, fresh, aromatic while moving over the table.
Lunch brought the chance to taste something different; I have much respect for the whites of Louis Latour, but the reds leave me confused because they taste almost as good as anybody’s wines before bottling but are tight and uninteresting for some time afterwards. I rarely see bottles with a few years of age to challenge that experience – but this 2009 was one. The nose started strange – certainly not ‘Chambolle-like’ – as if there was too much CO2 despite 10 years of age. The palate showed it perfectly – yes, too much gas. We released much of it with shaking – it was a mousseux! Slowly the wine rounded out in shape and the nose began to grow. In the end, I’d say that it became quite tasty and yes, even Chambolle-like – I wouldn’t have said that to start with – so carafe!
The afternoon brought me joy – above, right – clusters of pinot so beautiful that they are amongst the best I ever saw on a triage table – since 2004 – fruit for the eyes rather than work for the hands! Did I forget to mention? This was Beaune 1er Les Reversées. I’d have been keeping at least 15% whole clusters, but that’s not the politique of the domaine, so all was destemmed.
There is one response to “wednesday 18 Sept – harvest 2019 update”
Vintage on the Latour?
Doh! Sorry for leaving it out Dan, it was a 2009 – I updated the text too.