Tasted in Chablis with Laurent & Charlene Pinson, 14 January 2021.
Domaine Pinson
5, quai Voltaire
89800 Chablis
Tel: +33 3 86 42 10 26
www.domaine-pinson.com
More reports for Domaine Pinson
Charlene on 2021:
“for us about similar to 2016 – we do all by hand and it was a big triage which contributed to lower yields – so we had to adapt our vinifications because of the different sizes to normal. But we’re happy with what we have.”
Charlene on 2020:
“40-50 hl/ha and our first harvest in August – the 26th – we did 1st September in 2003. The cleanliness was very good and we still had good acidities too. Tender, pure. Fermentations didn’t slow so all went well in the elevage. We waited a bit longer for the Fourchaume as there was some reduction but generally the rhythm of most years – grand crus bottled only a couple of weeks ago. PC and Chablis were done in May.”
The wines…
The style has something in common with William Fevre this year as there is a and elegant style to many of the wines, only the oak is a more evident here today – and that will, of course, fade.
2020 Charlène and Laurent Pinson, Petit Chablis
From close to Maligny
Really good perfumed freshness – lots of citrus. Pure, a mix of breadth and directness – nicely fine, mineral and lime-fruit finish. This is highly attractive.
2020 Chablis
This the maison Chablis
Wider, finer – airy and attractive. More impact, lots of mouth-watering freshness. This is good and the finish is very good – long, opening more with air.
2020 Chablis
Right bank below Mont de Milieu plus one other. About 50 years old vines on average. This the domaine wine – plain south facing
Narrower but more concentrated and an extra depth – more yellow-citrus style. More incisive and fresh – widening in waves of flavour. A little extra suppleness. This is excellent and I love the finish.
2020 Chablis Cuvée Mademoiselle
Vines high in the valley of Montée de Tonnerre on white soil. This with the skin contact before pressing, all old barrel elevage, more than 5 years old. Last part of elevage in tank. There’s no 2021 – like in 2016 – there were not enough grapes to make a cuvée
Deeper a vibrant mineral base – this is super. Airy but wide, clarity of flavour a little extra – some wood. Round and fine-textured in the finish and very long. This is excellent – keep it back 2 years to minimize further the effects of the elevage…
Now move from DIAM to Cork..
2020 Chablis 1er Vaillons
This bottled end of August.
The nose has fine clarity, width and weight – showing some oak today too. Sweeping, direct – love the shape of this, melting over the palate – wait three years as the oak is quite caramel in style today. But potentially excellent.
2020 Chablis 1er Vaugiraut
A small parcel. South-facing, similar soil to Forets. 25-year-old vines.
A more mineral width, faintly perfumed at the edges. Extra fat – just a couple of mm – a luxurious texture, long saline finishing – the granular complexity reminding me of Mont de Milieu. A contemplative wine narrow in the finish but long, long…
The vines planted 1955/56, right at the start of Forêts – a very limestone soil.
Airy, wide – a beautiful nose. Direct, pure, structured but fluid – great wine – no question. A small reprise – so long, a faint oak here but it will be gone in 2 years…
2020 Chablis 1er Montmains
Right at the end of Montmains (real Montmains) about 150 metres from the Fôrets but same height up on the hill. Argille blanche/bleu less white stone than Fôrets.
A burst of citrus-skin then airy and wide, becoming floral. Larger scaled, more structured – no rigour, not particularly strict just correct. The flavour slowly melting over the palate – beautiful Montmains. Larger-scaled finishing than the Forets. Excellent wine…
Now moving to the right bank:
2020 Chablis 1er Fourchaume
In Vaupoulot just changing the orientation a little, similar to that of the middle of Montée de Tonnerre. Only tank elevage as it usually seems to big with barrel elevage. Just two weeks in bottle – like the grand crus. This a contract…
A direct yellow/gold citrus – airy in overall volume – less direct character than the last two, but slowly growing and focusing with air. Direct, complex, a little herbed, deeper moreover minerality – perhaps with a faint reduction but it’s not clear. The finish is top – insinuating, long, layered and mouth-watering. Starting modestly and growing in interest all the way through – I think this will get better and better…
This from bought grapes ‘it’s not that we need the volume, but I love to complete a nice range of crus’
Not starting full power, but here’s a nose that’s supported by a fine vibration of minerality. Silky, direct – yes, fluid – mobile, go-anywhere flavour, slowly mouth-watering, modestly saline, over the palate. Fine balance. A great wine.
Biggest parcel of the domaine, 4.5 hectares in two blocks, ‘the big parcel works really well raisonné because there is no neighbourly influence. We like to harvest not too late to keep the direction and purity.’
A similar vibration of minerality at the base but more open in the width vs the MdT. Again that’s lovely over the palate – a cascade of mouth-watering flavour – not fat, there’s fine muscle here. Big finishing. Also a great wine.
2020 Chablis Les Preuses
A contract
Here is the floral, saline, fleshy nose of Preuses. Silky, crystalline flavour, a mm of cushioning. Extra slaine in the middle and finishing flavours. Not lacking in energy but still a contemplative style to this wine – the oak apparent in the rounder finishing flavour. As a minimum, this will be excellent…
From 4 different parcels, but the total is 2.5 hectares. Various vine ages from 10-47 years.
More open and airy – if not the same focus as the previous. Wide, crystalline – more mouth-filling. Here the fluidity of the best, mouthwatering, growing almost juicy – a cascade of flavour energy and mouth-watering moreishness that the Preuses isn’t showing today. Great wine – no overt oak either.
2019! Chablis Les Clos Authentique
After two years of barrel elevage…
More forward – more ripe fruit showing – but still very attractive and fresh – all framed with a little oak today. Ooh – that’s lovely – the fluidity of the 2020s, more mouth-watering too – but also there’s extra depth and richness to the texture today. It’s generous but it’s not fat – wait 3-5 years and then as long as you like. The minerality is certainly accentuated here. An extra finishing wave of flavour too.
And something for the road?:
Blind. Some colour here. Lots of energy – complex – some age too, faintly caramel. Wide, very silky, a little caramel again, layered in the middle and finishing flavours – with air this becomes cleaner, fresher and more mineral. Strong finishing – wide pure and mineral – a large wave here. I guess roughly 10-years-old, so I suggest 2010 as the 11s can be problematic, I think right bank thou possibly grand gru. It’s Les Clos 2010! No more guesses today – it can only go downhill from there!