Profile: Domaine Diconne

2.8.2018billn

Tasted with Christophe Diconne, pictured with his father Jean-Pierre, in Auxey-Duresses at the end of June 2018.

Domaine Diconne
5 Rue de la Velle
21190 Auxey-Duresses
Tel: +33 3 80 21 25 60

Christophe is the current head of the growers syndicate of Auxey-Duresses. Christophe is the third generation of a domaine that started in 1920s. Today with 10 hectares of vines, 55% of which are in Auxey-Duresses but with some Pommard and Meursault too. It was Christophe’s father who first started to commercialise wine in bottle.

All is hand-harvest, here – certainly not the norm for the village. Christophe chooses to destem all his reds followed by elevage lasting 1 year in barrel – a similar elevage time is used for the domaine’s whites too. Christophe makes about equal parts of red and white wine, about 30,000 bottes of which he commercialises whilst the rest is sold bulk. The principal market for the domaine’s wines is France – about 75% of the total – though there’s a significant quantity that’s sold to a passing trade, which may or may-not end up in France.

The wines…

Christophe says that he likes his reds to have a little structure, preferring to drink them after 2-3 years in the cellar. In 2016, there was frost of course, though it was quite variable in Auxey, ‘But that means there’s a little extra concentration.’ All natural cork used here.

Theres really a fine concentration and texture to these reds, lets wait and see how the noses open but there’s nothing herbal about them – first class wines…

2106 Auxey-Duresses Terres Folles Blanc
A young vines cuvée.
Hmm, a nice freshness and comforting aromatic sweetness. Wide, a little comfort to the texture but a proper structure too. Fine finishing – wait 6-18 months bit this is very tasty wine!

2016 Auxey-Duresses Vieilles-Vignes Blanc
Vines in the same sector, but in this case the youngest vines are from 1959, and the oldest from 1928. ‘It was a harder fermentation probably because of the frost, so not the same depth as usual despite 7 hectolitres per hectare.
An aroma that’s vibrantly fresh. Supple, delicious, lots of flavour dimension, weight and energy – it has everything – this is excellent. Bravo! I can see that Christophe is not completely happy, but I find this super – and indeed bought some!

2016 Auxey-Duresses Rouge
A little red from the white hillside. Some pigeage, but more remontage.
Deep colour. The nose is concentrated, lacking a little elan perhaps. Lithe, concentrated, complex, a wine with a certain minerality too. Wait a little for this to open, but it’s clean and interesting – there’s lots here.

2016 Auxey-Duresses 1er Les Bretrins
Not many produce this wine.
Lots of volume and concentration again, this is more interesting today. Silky, concentrated, this has layers to its concentration – excellent. Easier to appreciate today than the previous wine, slowly ending with a little tannin. Yes! Bravo!

2016 Auxey-Duresses 1er Les Grands Champs
Vines that sit below the last Bretrins, only 12 hl/ha due to frost
Here are a few higher tones, yet still something of a tight nose with only a little width. Supple, nice texture again, less overtly concentrated as the last but still concentrated. Layers of fresh, interesting and tasty flavour. Slightly fresher than the last, simply different, but excellent.

2016 Auxey-Duresses 1er Les Duresses
1927 vines.
Super deep colour. A compact, brooding nose. Supple, concentrated, lots of dimension, deliciously dark fruited, mouth-watering slightly torrified flavour. Super wine.

2015 Auxey-Duresses 1er Grands Champs
Here the nose has opened a little and there’s a little floral perfume starting to escape from the glass. Supple, round, waves of flavour, delicious, complex, balanced with freshness. Yum! Excellent wine!

2015 Auxey-Duresses 1er Les Duresses
Like the 2016, a compact, brooding, almost stewing fruit nose. In the mouth, wide but with lots of density. This is less open and also a little more stewing fruit – showing like the 2016s – wait for it.

A blind white to finish:
Young colour. Round, sweet, the nose pulling me in with open arms. Fresh, a little structured, multi-dimensional, that sweetness is annoying me but not the energy and complexity. This is delicious, the acidity and colour make me think to 2014 but the sweetness not – it’s the 2013 Vieilles-Vignes with great young colour and not much development.

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