Tasted in Beine with Nathalie Geoffroy, 17 January 2024.
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 2023:
“Yes, we were very happy with that – there had been some maladies but we still had juice.”
Nathalie on 2022:
“All the first bottlings have been done – there will be some later waves of bottling as the wine is required. The year in the vines was one without frost – just a couple of nights gave us concern – aspersion was used as a precaution but there was no significant damage. A clean year and no maladies – it was ideal. It reminds me a little of 2018 – a bit less generous but we are not complaining. Life was also easy in the cuverie – which aided us in bottling some wine early to cover the loss of volume in 2021.”
The wines…
Always such a drinkable selection from this producer.
Using some screw-caps for the PC and Chablis, the rest are cork. There have been new labels for the export market since 2018.
2022 Petit Chablis
‘Not a really big’ cuvée, but from 5 hectares of vines!
An easy but pretty nose of fresh fruit – very inviting. A hint of gas – but mouth-filling and with energy – partly from that gas. The finish is direct and certainly with a salty tang. That’s a good wine but wait 1-2 years…
2022 Chablis
The classic cuvée that sees only tank elevage. Usually 30 hectares worth of vines here. Beines, Lignorelles and Chapelle le Vaulpeteigne
Aromas that recall the PC but with extra width. Large scale and with just a little more attractive sucrosity to this wine. Stronger finishing – there’s more core – the wine is also more tasty today That’s very good.
2022 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
Oak elevage here but it’s not an overt oak that you will meet – more a rounding of the aromas. Rounder in the mouth too but also with a little more obvious juiciness. It is a very tasty wine!
2022 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 it as such – but it was a hard sell!
Hmm – that’s lovely – fine width and super clarity to more mineral notes. There’s a more direct style to the flavours – but they melt juicily over the palate and have more finishing intensity. Clarity and intensity – super!
2022 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 airy width of aroma. Extra volume in the mouth but also a more airy style to the flavours here, subtle but also complex – there’s tension but also finesse. I love it!
2022 Chablis 1er Fourchaume
A parcel of 2.5 ha all in the same sector of ‘real’ Fourchaume.
More aromatic power, a riper, more overt yellow citrus nose. In the mouth we have a vibrant energy, it’s a different, more floral-infused flavour profile. Then, like the nose, with extra power in the finish – here direct and intense. Fourchaume is rarely my favourite style of Chablis – but this is super!
2022 Chablis 1er Beauroy Vieilles-Vignes
This with elevage in large-format 500-litre barrels – this and the Chablis VV with darker glass bottles too – ‘So we can easily distinguish them in the storage without labels!’
A calmer nose but still of good width. Extra salinity is visible here, no oak flavours until right at the end – more a rounding of the shape of the wine. In this case though, I have an easy preference for the non-oaked cuvée which better showcases the mineral flavours of the wine. Give this 2-3 years to let those finishing flavours blossom – I’m sure that they will. ‘We always sell more of this in the cold weather and the more classic wines in the summer.‘
2022 Chablis Les Clos
Not proprietors here but each year buy from friends. Part oak, part tank elevage. Only a small production so you may struggle to find it.
Floral, complex, with some elegance but clarity too – yes! Just a mm of padding to this flavour, flavour that washes over the palate with mineral clarity and a small cushion. Broader, more accommodating finishing flavours of clear length. That’s a very fine wine – a delicious wine. The oak is completely discreet here – yum!