Tasted in Chichée with Nathalie Oudin in her white bonnet, 10 January 2022.
Domaine Oudin
5, rue du Pont
89800 Chichée
Tel: +33 3 86 42 44 29
More reports with Domaine Oudin
Nathalie on 2021:
“2021 was much better than 2016 – because we had hail as well as frost that year – because of that I look at 21 almost positively! It’s about a third of a normal harvest. It depends on the parcel but the pruning is not easy – it is in some parts but others I think will be much less fertile, because of that, in some places I’m more pruning for 23 than this year. Of course, it’s easier than pruning something that’s been hailed! Sales really went mad at one stage in the year – I’ve the impression we sold a year’s worth of wine in 4 months last year!”
Nathalie on 2020:
“I had some worry because the harvest was in August but in the end, the balance was super. Very happy. Our average has been 45 hl/ha and we did 50 – it was an early harvest but we have freshness as the evenings were much cooler – we often had 8°C in the morning – in August! So I think this helped to make the wines more classic. I found 2018 and 2019 a bit too gourmand – 2020 is more my style and think of them as, more, wines of delicatesse. I found the wines took time to open again after bottling. You should lose the 2020s in your cellar it’s THE vintage for that!”
The wines…
Really ‘on-form’ in this vintage – I’d (very happily) take a mixed case!
All natural cork – from a real ‘family domaine’ from Spain:
Normally about 12 parcels are assembled here, and this cuvée would represent about 65% of the domaine’s production. This bottled in November
Broad and then growing in width – that’s very nice – deepening and becoming a more mineral and zesty nose. Starts direct but then widens in silky fashion over the palate – layered, mineral and saline finishing. Here’s a wine that begs some cellar time – 3-5 years – but the persistence is great. I think a great villages in the making.
2019(!) Chablis Les Serres
The longer elevage cuvée. Les Serres has a bit darker glass bottle – Nathalie explains, “That’s so you can tell which bottles are which when the labels have succumbed to the damp in your cellar!”
Bigger – wider, more agrume energy to this nose. Fuller – seemingly more powerful, more concentrated – less well defined than the 2020 but completely delicious – a large-scaled wine but with fine energy – it’s really excellent and also very long finishing!
A quick idea from tank:
Warmer, gassy, but a nice agrume and zesty citrus skin. Wide, mobile – hmm – fluid! This is texturally lovely and sits beautifully on the palate. For villages Chablis, this will certainly be great!
Two parcels; one of 65 years, a third in volume, and the other part, 35 years old.
Needs a bit of air as there’s a touch of reduction; it doesn’t need long to become very floral – now it’s really very lovely! Ooh – that’s a bright and mouth-filling wine – properly mineral and citrus-framed. Wide and impressive in the finish. All the parts impress but it’s a wine for keeping to bring all those parts together – I think at least excellent but I’d be waiting at least 5 years with a realistic hope for great. ‘I agree, that’s why I’m happy to be still selling the 2019!’
2020 Chablis 1er Vaucoupins
1949 planted. A third of the vines of the domaine are massale with and with an average of 50 years of age. None of this 21…
Wider, more overtly saline – almost a little peach aroma to start, becoming more agrume with air. The most mineral and saline of all these – ultra classic Chablis just warming with fruit flavour a little in the long finish. Completely another style – and delicious excellent wine too.