Tasted in Savigny with the sisters Juliette & Caroline Chenu – 13 June 2023.
Domaine Louis Chenu Père et Filles
12 rue Joseph de Pesquidoux
21420 Savigny-lès-beaune
Tel: +33 3 80 26 13 96
www.louischenu.com
More reports for Domaine Louis Chenu Père et Filles
Juliette on 2021:
“In 2021 we don’t have all the wines – that’s down to the frost, overall it was half a harvest for us – it could certainly have been worse. Post-frost we had a difficult growing season, lots of stress, I can really say that it was psychologically difficult. The results, given the season that we had are really good – the whites are particularly good. I like the energy of the wines and some clients really love them. I think the lower volume could have helped to save the vintage because this lower amount of grapes had no trouble reaching proper maturity – and the grapes were all of one generation not like in 2016.”
The wines…
A super – if slightly truncated versus normal – range of 2021s at this domaine. Dangerous wines – your bottles may empty far too quickly!
The bottling was at the end of August for the whites and one or two reds – the rest were done in December…
Bourgogne Aligoté
Old vines, over 60, in Boutières – the flat part of Aloxe Boutières – which got hit by the frost so there was no wine.
2021 Bourgogne Chardonnay Les Bruchots
At the limit of the Hautes Côtes near Bouze-les-Beaune in this limestone area, the vines are nearly 40 years old. Barrel elevage but none new.
Fresh and compact but in the mouth a burst of citrus energy makes for a breadth of delicious tasting flavour. Far too easy to drink!
2021 Savigny-lès-Beaune Blanc Les Saucours
There’s a little pinot blanc co-planted here – less than 10% – two parcels the older 55-years-old and the younger more like 25, blended in the bottom of Savigny near the large wooden Saint Vincent.
A much more vertical nose – complex perfumed and very attractive. Supple – mouthfilling – faintly sweet but with minerality and another fine burst of juicy finishing flavour…
Les Reds:
2021 Bourgogne Rouge
Three parcels; Chevrières plus some from Hautes Côtes near Gollardes ‘practically in the forest – Perrières,’ the third parcel in the plain in Aloxe Boutières where the aligoté also comes from. ‘Very simply – it’s just juice with no oak’
Hmm – cordial purity and very attractive too. Energy, juicy pure fruit flavour with the faintest lick of finishing tannin – almost no grain. Fine, fresh, finishing intensity… Too delicious!
2021 Savigny-lès-Beaune Vieilles-Vignes
Bottled in December. Multiple parcels, a mix of plain and hillside vines.
Another shimmering width of pure red-fruit energy and again slightly perfumed. Energy and fine fruit flavour – lots of clarity here – the finish a strong, a narrow beam of flavour. Dangerous wines here in 2021 – you will drink them all too quickly!
2021 Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Talmettes
Botted early – in August ‘as it’s quite a lighter wine in 2021…’
Wow nose – airy but such beauty of transparent red fruit. More richness to this flavour, extra salinity and even some minerality. The finish is on a fading mineral note…
2021 Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Le Clous
‘A patchwork of vine ages’ and the biggest cuvée of the 1ers here. South-facing with quite deep soil. A December bottling…
A more vibrant and higher toned nose. More structural shape but the energy is strong and forward – so mouth-watering with plenty of intensity. I’d wait a little longer to drink this but not too long!
There was no Lavières in 2020 – but it’s back in 2021:
2021 Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Les Lavières
South-facing – from the southern part of Savigny – a wine with more structure – minerality from the lavs (slabs of limestone) of Lavières.
A more timid nose but it’s perfumed behind. Larger scale and a more discernible structure. Chalky style in this finish – lovely wine once more.
2021 Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Aux Jarrons
N-NE exposure above Dominode and Narbantons
Perfumed wine – quite a different style of perfume. It has a little of the structure of Lavières but a little more grip from the tannin – still hardly any grain – but it holds together with the finishing flavour – flavour with a lot of detail. Super wine but I’d personally wait 2 years before attacking…
And couple of 2022s are already bottled. “22 was the largest vintage we had for 20 years – and just occasionally a vintage like that also has good quality – I’m sure that’s what we have in 2022!”:
2022 Bourgogne Rouge
Bottled at the end of May
A very silky, darker width of fruit aroma. Cushioned, more generous – just a mm or two of cushioning. A caress from this wine – a beautifully drinking (already!) Bourgogne…
2022 Savigny-lès-Beaune Vieilles-Vignes
Bottled beginning of June
Hmm – also a width of aroma – not as silky as the previous but with a more stony – cherry stone – style of complexity. There’s a decent impact but there’s more background intensity here and breadth to this flavour. Calmer finishing but holding very well… Drink the Bourgogne and wait a couple of years for this!