Tasted in Préhy with Clotilde Davenne, 26 January, 2016.
Domaine Clotilde Davenne
3, rue de Chantemerle
89800 Préhy
Tel: +33 3 86 41 46 05
www.clotildedavenne.fr
Clotilde Davenne was an oenologist with Jean-Marc Brocard for 17 years. In 2005 she decided to create her own domaine – Les Temps Perdus. Today she works about 18 hectares of vines situated between Chablis and Saint Bris. “Here in Préhy, we’re on the border between Chablis and the Auxerois” says Clothilde.
It’s a wide selection of parcels, cepages and colours – indeed bubbles too – that Clothilde produces here, in a range of old buildings that she has built-up over the last 10 years; “There was no wine-making here before” she says.
The wines…
Fermentations are in stainless steel with some temperature control – the reds have a cool maceration then a relatively quick fermentation. A fine, diverse selection of cuvées here…
2014 Bourgogne Côtes d’Auxerre Pinot Noir
All in tank at the moment. Medium red colour. From Les Rosières in Saint Bris.
An attractive macerating skins impression – fresh and inviting. Rather larger and fuller in the mouth than I expect – lots of weight and interesting flavour here. Complex wine of interest. Nice wine. Sold as Bourgogne Rouge in most export markets.
2014 Irancy
Since 2012 a small rendement – less than 30 hl/ha – 10% cesar here, vines recovered in 2011.
A little higher toned. Sleeker, more direct, more intense. A bead of gas here but also a higher level of mouth-watering flavour complexity. Long and chewy flavour in the finish.
Les blancs:
2014 Aligoté
Screw-cap here for export – in fact all bar the Irancy and grand crus can be had in screw-cap. 75 year-old vines, still vigorous with a good exposure.
A freshness, a certain ripeness and spiciness. Mouth-filling, nicely textured, mineral waves that are all soft-edged. Pretty and expanding fresh flavour. Tasty wine!
2014 Saint Bris
Young vines – 18 years old.
Sauvignon, but with a certain sweetness and no aggression to the faint pyrazine notes. Round and supple, slowly growing waves of flavour, subtly mineral. This tastes rather good. Fine SdSB!
More than 100 years old and delivering only 15 hl/ha. Whilst bottled just before the harvest, it is usually commercialised much later – currently they are selling the 2012.
A really subtle nose, almost waxily smooth textured. Pure mineral, slowly a hint of sauvignon character, but really it’s in the background. Layered flavour, mineral flavour to follow. As good as you will find I think – bravo!
2014 Bourgogne blanc
From vines behind the house in Préhy, but over the border from Chablis. Young vines made in same manner as the Chablis.
A very mineral nose – but inviting too. Silky, sinuous, with fine freshness and character. Very tasty – only in the finish does this become saline and add a little more mouth-watering impression.
2014 Petit Chablis Les Temps Perdus
A wide, faintly limed, faintly phenolic nose – nice. A hint of gas and certainly a hint of aggression to start with this intensity, but it starts to melt on the tongue becoming more and more accommodating. Wait another 6 month, but the finish is fine and involving.
This from bought grapes.
Faint lime but really rather a tight nose. Lucid wine of clarity and layers of interest – fresh and pure and certainly mineral. This is very lovely and leaves waves of finishing flavour. Les rich but clearly more interesting today than the Temps Perdus…
2014 Chablis
From just one parcel in Courgis with a south-facing exposure.
More open, a freshness of green citrus. A little gas here – wait. Slowly the wine melts over your tongue with fine complexity and a certain joie-de-vivre. Green-fruit flavoured, elegantly so, and then a nice burst of finishing flavour. Tasty wine.
From the bottom of Montmains.
A sweetness and florality to this nose – very elegant and inviting. Again a bite of gas but when it leaves you just have really great waves of fresh flavour – almost sherbet on the tip of the tongue. Complex and very involving. Super wine! Really fine and lingering flavour. Yum!
2014 Chablis Les Clos
Like all wines at this domaine, never any wood.
A rather modest nose, but wide and interesting, faint yellow citrus after the green of many before – occasional flashes of florals too. Big in the mouth but pure and without any fat. This has much mouth-watering flavour and a certain saline edge too. Really broad finishing flavour. Excellent!
2014 Chablis Blanchots
Also a rather floral nose; just a suggestion of savoury reduction. Again really mouth-filling. Here really are waves and waves of flavour – more saline from the mid-palate and almost like a red, leaving a silky feeling on your teeth. Discreetly intense but very long in the finish. Super.
Here are mineral, flowers and that special 2014 vibration in the nose, perhaps reduction, perhaps just great. Ooh… This is intense, not aggressive, layered and just achingly beautiful today – too easy? I really don’t care this is simply excellent today with a certain agrume quality to the fruit. The finish remains very tasty and long, with just a little discretion. I would drink this tonight without hesitation!
“My family origin is a partly from Champagne so I like bubbles and I’m happy to have some gas in some of my ‘still’ cuvees:”
Cremant de Bourgogne Blanc (Brut Extra)
40% chardonnay de l’Yonne, 60% pinot from Epineuil in Tonnerre. 18 months (minimum) sur lattes.
A certain sweetness to the nose (zero dosage) and maybe mirabelle to start, but I think of tarte tatin after a few moments – beautifully fresh. Dry for sure, but bright, complex and enjoyable flavour – a suggestion of salinity? Maybe.
Cremant de Bourgogne Rosé
100% pinot.
A super red fruit – really a strawberry direction. Complex, slowly growing over the palate. Involving. The first is to drink this is to consider… Clean flavour in the finish, with a wink! Really enjoyable.