26-August-20 – burgundy harvesting day 7

Update 27.8.2020(26.8.2020)billn

The end?

Sort of, the end…

Today we completed the harvest for about 85% of the domaine, but then there’s a problem; our last two cuvées – Pernand Les Pins Blanc and Pommard Vaumuriens are not ready for picking and they won’t be for a few more days. So it’s good-bye to our picking team. The domaine will now be concentrating on the work in cuverie for the next few days.

Today we started in Corton-Charlemagne, a little over 0.3 hectares on the Pernand side of the hill. The grapes looked beautiful on the vines but the truth is on the triage table where we had to remove some dried/roast grapes – very aromatic on the table though – even wearing a mask! Next was Pernand 1er Sous Fretille. A little larger berry-size, more uniform than the Charlemagne and with less to triage – some hail impacts excepted – excellent quality to this fruit. The Sous Fretille bookended our lunch followed by the last vines for the team – Beaune Montée Rouge – and it’s steep up here! These had a little dried material plus some less ripe to triage – the less ripe due to not making leaf-thinning here to protect the clusters a little more from the sun. Very successful Beaune again, but probably yesterday’s villages and certainly the Reversées set higher standards for the fruit.

We battled quite an influx of ladybugs today, but given the style of the fruit, most were collected below the vibrating table. Those that made it onto the triage table were collected and dispersed under the trees outside the domaine – kind organic 😉

And lunch? I hear you breathlessly asking! Yep, there was wine, probably too much, certainly enough that I didn’t open my bottle – but clearly at no loss!

2013 Samuel Billaud, Chablis Les Preuses
Wax-topped, a good cork here.
Hmm – now that’s a wide and attractive nose – really engaging – adding depth with aeration. Wide, plenty of impact, waves of flavour nicely balanced if not showing either bracing acidity or steely minerality. This is simply a completely delicious wine. The nose certainly from Chablis, the flavours a little less so, but that’s the vintage!
Rebuy – Yes

Jumping a mere 30 years further back:

1983 Raveneau, Chablis 1er Montée de Tonnerre
Only the last 2mm of the cork was lost into the bottle – but it was easily ‘fished out.’
Deeper colour but aromatically not a bit oxidised; complex, mineral, even a touch reductive – very complex indeed – engrossing wine that lacks ‘easy’ aromas – or flavours! This has a proper line of direct Chablis shape, great acidity and much less sweetness than the 2013. I kept coming back to this great bottle, but I can appreciate why many more will gravitate to the easier and more delicious Billaud…
Rebuy – No Chance!

I didn’t open the following wines, so no cork-reports 🙂

2014 Michel Bouzereau, Volnay 1er Les Aussey
Plenty of colour here. The nose is a match for colour – impact, indeed a little monolithic – it needs plenty of airy to start becoming more relaxed and a little more overtly floral. Like the nose, this wine is clearly such a youngster. Return in 5 years – full of material and nicely shaped – but a wine in waiting.
Rebuy – Maybe

2010 Mongeard-Mugneret, Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Orveaux
Much more modest colour than the Volnay. Ooh – now that’s a beauty – the nose airy but complex – almost layered with a proper Vosne-style in combination with high-toned florals. The palate is equally elegant and completely delicious. I would go as far as to say captivating – could it have a bit more concentration for such a reputed place? Probably yes – but a deliciously captivating drink. Bravo!
Rebuy – Yes

Leave a Reply to billnCancel reply

There are 2 responses to “26-August-20 – burgundy harvesting day 7”

  1. DrT27th August 2020 at 7:28 amPermalinkReply

    Is Marko coming?

    • billn27th August 2020 at 7:55 amPermalinkReply

      That is his plan – assuming no tit for tat French quarantine rules before he leaves home. His team don’t start for another week!

  2. goughie1327th August 2020 at 8:45 amPermalinkReply

    Morning DtT, thanks for your interest :). Yep, as Bill says, am intending to be in Vosne for my 13th (unlucky for some ?) vendange, start date 3rd Sept. All plans could be scuppered though if, pre my departure from UK home (night of 1st Sept), the French Govt follows through on ‘threats’ to impose quarantine on travellers from the UK – unless there might be any exemptions in such a scenario. Whatever, in these strange times, I am determined not to be the cause of any difficulty or problem to the Noellat family – quite the contrary. We’ll see ! Daily reporting might be an issue, despite best intents, as wi-fi access was problematic last year & whilst I know more now there could still be issues but, rest assured, I’ll be trying my best !
    MdMdlV

    • DrT1st September 2020 at 12:55 amPermalinkReply

      Fingers crossed! I personally have been enjoying your harvest insights for years!

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