Tasted in Givry with André & Jean-Baptiste Bordeaux Montrieux, 24 October 2023.
Domaine Thénard
7 Rue de L’Hôtel de Ville
71640 Givry
Tel: +33 3 85 44 31 36
More reports with Baron Thénard.
André & Jean Baptiste on the 2023 vintage:
“We had lovely grapes in 2023 particularly in Montrachet but Givry was good too – we had some hail nearby – on the hills here and over in Mercurey but fortunately not on our vines. We are just now putting the last of the wine into barrel – we like to take our time and the weather has been warm so the the wines settle more slowly. We take our time now and don’t rack halfway through the elevage. ”
André & Jean Baptiste on the 2022 vintage:
“In Givry we had lower volume than in the Côte d’Or but the Givry was very ripe – 15° in some places. In the Côte d’Or we had more volume but the alcohols there were closer to 13°. Volumes were huge in 2018 – but we were not at that level. 2019 was good for us but the last full vintage for Givry was 2016 – here there was no frost that year!”
The wines…
Always a pleasure to taste at this estate – I feel like I’m transported back 100 years when I visit their cellars – but behind are classy wines, mainly distributed – and at fair prices – in France. They are worth your time to locate!
A very fruity almost succulent red fruit. Full, juicy, fleshy – ooh – what a great vintage for villages Givry!
2022 Givry Les Bois Cheveaux
Appellation from the 12th century – nearly 8 ha here. Tasted from foudre.
A fresher more direct, darker fruit nose. In the mouth too but complex and full of energy and juicy finish again, this time a little saline. Then from barrel. Larger, softer but inviting. Hmm depth, creamy depth. Delicious wine.
2022 Givry Clos Cellier aux Moines
Starting the use of more 350-litre barrels – they are still easy to manoeuvre and ‘they work well with the wine’
Darker with more graphite mineral complexity. I sense a little gentian complexity here but it doesn’t tumble into direct pyrazine. Very long and quite vibrant too.
2022 Givry Clos St.Pierre
Near Bois Cheveaux – above and more rocky – a monopole, all barrel elevage.
Airy, round, a suggestion of cocoa. Direct, more structural, almost a pepper note in this finish. Concentrated and for keeping a while…
From barrel:
This and the Corton came to the domaine about 1930, via Louis Thénard
Different, extra freshness and darkness, fleshy fruit again of clarity. Layered, beautifully textured – velour. Long a super wine!
2022 Corton Clos du Roi
Less depth, more width of aroma. Structural, slowly fading. Delicious for young Corton but so clearly for keeping.
2022 Grands-Echézeaux
‘We have a plant that doesn’t have a big acidity’ Tasted from a 350-l barrel
Ooh, that’s really perfumed. I really like this width and energy – there’s fine complexity too. This is an excellent wine but my favourite is the ‘Ile’ here – it’s a beauty.
Les Whites:
2022 Givry Blanc
Vibrant, round, creamy aromatic fruit. Round, supple, full of flavour. A little generous but still delicious wine.
2022 Givry 1er Cellier aux Moines Blanc
A broad and floral nose – that’s super. Generous again but more finely structured – finishing long and even slightly tannic. Lovely!
2022 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Clos St.Jean
Barrel elevage that’s finished in tank – this tasted from barrel.
A fine, direct, pure nose. Wide and vibrant over the palate – quite some minerality too. The finish widening and becoming more intense and faintly saline. This is super.
For the Montrachet it is always a ‘compendium note’ based of the different coopers – they are always blended:
“Only 50% new oak as my job as to show the terroir but I have my regular 4 coopers as I think the blend is always superior:”
2022 Montrachet
Fresh, wide, such a large and impressive nose incorporating not just scale but some floral notes too. Broad over the palate too, with really super middle and finishing flavour – that’s a wonderfully impressive finish!