Tasted with Frédéric Soupé in Chablis, 07 January 2022
Domaine Soupé
ZA des Violettes
1 rue de la Paix
89800 Chablis
Tel: +33 3 86 52 79 50
www.domainesoupe.com
More reports with Domaine Soupé
Frédéric on 2021:
“Actuially, the worst for me was 2013, possibly 2016. 2021 was better than both of those – but we still had about 60% less crop. We have a lot of vines in the direction of Beru & Chemilly and that was bad but the part in Chablis were a lot better. This was our first vintage without cultured yeasts. We were cautious before – and it looks to have gone very well – the juice was good and not too acid or too high in sugar so we took the risk – I think it was a good vintage for that…”
Frédéric on 2020:
“In 2020 we didn’t make the rendement either but 50 hl/ha is a good volume! All was bottled in June and I don’t like to taste them for 6 months after bottling but after November we start. There’s a little that’s left but it’s true that they’ve sold well so I am having to reserve and allocate the 2021s for 2022… I find more tension in the 2020s versus what I had in 18 and 19…”
The wines…
A super range with a couple of really great wines – others potentially too!
DIAM3 for the Petit Chablis and the Chablis and for the old vine cuvée it’s DIAM5 then DIAM10 for the Grand Cru:
2020 Petit Chablis
Hmm – that’s a nice nose – there’s width and a bit of lime-citrus. Nice shape in the mouth – mineral, delicious citrus flavour – mouth-watering. Simply a delicious wine – excellent – more of a nose and I’d say great!
2020 Chablis
That’s nice – a bit deeper, showing more of mineral side. More structure – nicely done – you can wait a little while for this one – but not too long. It’s a delicious wine – excellent!
This is their VV cuvée from a terrace in Beru – there’s plenty of clay here – Doyennes a cuvée name – ‘I don’t use VV as it’s a name that means so little and each domaine determines what for them is old…’
It needs a bit of swirling but this releases a very nice mix of yellow and green citrus, even a little floral aroma. Again, a nicely incisive and energetic start – growing in both width and intensity. Certainly, there’s much more intensity and direction in this finish – bravo!
2020 Chablis 1er Vaillons
A broader width of aroma – faintly saline – more zesty citrus skin in style. Ooh – lovely – so juicy, and mobile over the palate – this is simply delicious – another excellent wine and extra-long in this case… ‘I’m happy if they are a little discrete to start if they show well after a number of years,’ says Frédéric.
2020 Chablis 1er Mont de Milieu
‘I think 3 years is enough to wait for a 1er cru – they are already good after 1 year but three you can see all…’
A deeper nose, starting with a suggestion of reduction – again here some lime-citrus – almost the lime skin. More attack, more mineral – ooh that’s impressive – I’d like that to be a hint more mouth-watering – at least after the Vaillons – but in isolation, this is potentially great – impressively intense finishing almost a little pepper here too.
2020 Chablis 1er Montée de Tonnerre
Easier to start but here’s quite some citrus, almost a green-citrus-shaded agrume. There’s an extra depth and riper richness to this fruit – but no oak. The finish is ultra-delicious and complex – give this 1-2 years but there is a very fine wine here…
Organic vines – elevage in 500-litre barrels – almost no batonnage – ‘I leave closed until June.’
A depth of fresh mineral depth, faintly oak-accented. Ooh, now that’s got presence – direct but growing in width – the fluid style of the best wines in this vintage. Ultra-long, layered finishing – modestly oaked. I would wait 5 years this is top!