Tasted in Beines with Paul Gagnepain, 12 January 2023.
Domaine de la Côte de Fasse
(G.A.E.C. Gagnepain)
2 Voie du Gain
89800 Beines
Tel: +33 3 86 42 46 85
www.chablis-cotedefasse.fr
I met Paul on a large plot of land which neighbours the new tasting room of Louis Moreau. Work to update the cuverie and make a reception room is ongoing.
It was Paul’s grandmother who started this domaine in the 1990s – “Though the family had vines for generations – and the medals to show for it.” Paul has taken on the 22-hectare family domaine from his father and an aunt (Laurent & Isabelle, info on their internet site.) The domaine has always, like the vines, been centred around Beines – but they now have some new plantations in the Côtes d’Auxerre and in Coulanges but all the Chablis is around here.
Paul on 2022:
“Yes we were happy – the quantity and the quality were fine. Of course, if it was like that every year things would be very easy!”
Paul on 2021:
“Yes, it was the worst volume vintage here. It was a third of what’s allowed – we had nothing so low in recent vintages such as 2013 or 2016. We can say that all is sold out – certainly, we have no 1ers left at the domaine – but I can find a couple of ‘samples’ for the others. Our markets are more for export than in France.”
The wines…
The two wines tasted were excellent – I look forward to sampling more in the future!
As mentioned, most is sold out here from their tiny 2021 vintage – but Paul managed to find a couple of wines to taste – there will be bottles of the 2022s available next year, he assures. All the wines are sealed with DIAM – 3, or 5 for the 1er:
2021 Petit Chablis
Was bottled in April – a bit earlier than normal as there was nothing left to sell.
A slight savoury diam reduction but very quickly it’s gone – and there’s a bit more citrus complexity. Hmm, silky, quite direct – lots of complexity. That’s a really lovely, indeed too drinkable! Excellent wine!
2021 Chablis
Not always the same blend of parcels it depends on the vintage and the timing of the harvest for particular parcels.
Vibrant and a little reductive to start. More scale and an obvious move towards the more mineral style. Again silky; a mm of richness too. Here is a fresh, engaging, delicious wine with a fine finishing focus.