Tasted in Beine with Nathalie Geoffroy, 11 January 2023.
Domaine Alain Geoffroy
4, rue de l’Equerre
89800 Beine
Tel: +33 3 86 42 43 76
www.chablis-geoffroy.com
More reports with Domaine Alain Geoffroy
Nathalie on 2022:
It was a decent harvest; hardly touched by the frost – just a little. I can only hope that this ‘normal’ year comes also in 2023!
Nathalie on 2021:
“In 2021 the frost left us with only about 40% of a normal vintage – somewhere between a third and a half of a normal harvest depending on the sectors. All the bottlings have been done for the 21s. Fortunately, we did have a good volume in 2020 so we have been able to tide ourselves over with the low volumes from 2021. I like the finesse of the 21s but they are not all so ‘gourmand’ as in some of the previous vintages. I think it’s a purists vintage for those who like the freshness, tension and precision of Chablis – it’s just a shame that we don’t have much!”
The wines…
A lovely range of wines from here in 2021. They are pure, mineral and citrus-infused. They are very Chablis – just watch out for the Fourchaume if you are sensitive to pyrazines.
Using some screw-caps for the PC and Chablis, the rest are cork. There are new labels for the export market since 2018.
2021 Petit Chablis
‘Not a really big’ cuvée, but from 5 hectares of vines!
Ooh – now that’s a great invitation of attractively fresh citrus. In the mouth a little more strict with some lime-citrus – actually a wine to wait a little for, there’s both structure and a little citrus bitters – phenolics – to this texture. This is super and a wine you should wait 1-2 years to attack!
2021 Chablis
The classic cuvée that sees only tank elevage. Usually 30 hectares worth of vines here. Beines, Lignorelles and Chapelle le Vaulpeteigne
A nose with more width and more citrus intensity – almost a structural nose. A hint of CO2 to start, then the wine relaxes over the palate – melting, good texture, and juicily finishing and holding – more mineral and saline – absolutely classic – seriously excellent Chablis!
2021 Chablis Vieilles Vignes
Some part of oak elevage in this cuvée, not new barrels but 100% barrel. The average age of this assembly of parcels is 50+ – mainly from Cornas in Beine
More depth and a certain polished clarity to these aromas. Rounder, seemingly more mineral in style and certainly more saline too – it’s another excellent wine but I have a personal preference for the more direct, frank, previous cuvée. You won’t likely find traces of the barrels…
2021 Chablis 1er Beauroy
The historic cuvée of the family – almost 9.5 hectares averaging close to 40-years-old vines principally in the area of Troemes. Have sometimes bottled as such – but it was a hard sell!
A narrower but deeper nose – deeper but still fresh! Open, an almost sparkly complexity here – lots of salinity once more. I like this engaging style and it’s certainly longer finishing too. A wine to keep a couple of years – there’s proper construction here. More than very good!
2021 Chablis 1er Vau-Ligneau
About 2.5 hectares – ‘Not a big parcel for us! There’s less sun here. The vines are now about 35 years old and the cuvée gets more and more interesting. A cooler area versus the Beauroy.’ Only tank elevage
A more compact nose but there’s still a finer width of more perfumed aroma. A more incisive start – mineral – mouth-watering. A touch of the phenolics again but a mild framing of the essence of Chablis expression of this mineral, chiselled wine. A keeper and a potentially excellent one too.
2021 Chablis 1er Fourchaume
A parcel of 2.5 ha all in the same sector of ‘real’ Fourchaume.
Directly some pyrazine on this fresher nose. In the mouth a broader mouth-filling shape. Open, fine clarity but of course with the pyrazine edge to the flavours. The finish is involving and mouth-watering, again with a faint dryness of zesty agrume phenolics…
Not proprietors here but each year buy from friends. Part oak, part tank elevage. Only a small production.
A shimmering – fuller nose of fine clarity and depth. A little gas to start – but only a little. Such a fluid, mobile and interesting wine. It finds every space in your mouth, delivering mouth-wateringly pure flavours. This will grow and grow with however much time you can give it – today it’s not about concentration it is about energy and complex, mobile flavour – I love it. Not the greatest Clos of the year but still a great wine!