Tasted in Saint-Bris-le-Vineux with Guilhem Goisot, 10 June, 2014.
Domaine Jean-Hughes et Guilhem Goisot
30 rue Bienvenu-Martin
89530 Saint-Bris-le-Vineux
Tel. +33 3 86 53 35 15
www.goisot.com
Guilhem on 2015:
“2015 was a normal harvest apart from 3 parcels with a little hail 3-4 days before white harvest began. The hail hit the parcel of Irancy 30% a little more like 20% in some parcels of Côtes d’Auxerre, but in the context of the whole domaine less than 5% was lost.”
Guilhem on 2014:
“2014 a harvest that was a little low on the reds, but overall a good, ‘normal’ harvest (about 45 hl/ha) for us, just a few small parcels were hit by hail 25/26 July. 40% was the one loss, another of 10%, another 100%, very small areas but with a little vortex of wind which was so destructive like a tornado. No rot, really clean grapes across the domaine – very satisfying.”
I also discussed the unseasonably warm weather with Guilhem, who had the following observations: “despite the relative warmth, we are obliged to make the pruning because, despite the weather, it has to be done by March as the vines will begin growing again, but it’s not possible to do the whole domaine in one month. A problem is that without these cold dormant periods the vines will age quicker like in some other parts of the world. Luckily, we have no vines at the bottom of hills, should there be a hard, extended frost.
The wines…
For the reds, only the tradition is in bottle the rest are waiting in barrel. A couple of great reds here, likewise the whites. Next year there will even be a Chablis!
2014 Bourgogne Côtes d’Auxerre
Cesar would also be allowed for this label. More limestone, mainly kimmerigian but some portlandian too.
Super colour. Deep, dark, almost a grainy texture to the nose, perhaps from a little pyrazine, but the more you sniff there’s a great fruit below too. Sweetness, width, complexity. Really good concentration and width of flavour.
2014 Bourgogne Côtes d’Auxerre “Corps de Garde”
From Kimmerigian limestone.. One racking just after this harvest when reassembled for a second winter in barrel. Mainly 1 year-old barrels.
Again, great colour. A silky, and deep nose. Dark, freshly accented fruit, maybe a twist of pyrazine but on a very low-level vs the last. A coiled core of concentration, with some salinity and a broad, mineral width into the finish. Super mineral finish – lovely wine!
2014 Irancy Les Mazelots
All pinot.
Deep, dark fruit, layered fruit, modestly oaked (faintly vanilla’d) below. Big, round, complex and intense – boy this is good! Excellent wine still with a little dark oak in the finish, but a beauty in the making!
South-facing vines on Kimmerigian rock with a little blue marne and very small shell-fish fossils.
Deep colour. A beautiful nose – similar to the Irancy but with none of the oak references, gorgeous, deep and dark red fruit. Supple, concentrated wine. Lots of width and freshness. A great Bourgogne!
Les Blancs…
‘We’re lucky to have old vines,’ says Guilhem, ‘over 80 years old, planted on a Kimmerigian hillside location. The soil needs constant work, or it’s like concrete. There’s lots of red clay and blue fossils here.’ This wine is made in stainless-steel tanks, bottled in mid-August. Mainly catching the setting sun, 30-90 year-old vines from an old massale selection with small grapes like pinot noir.
Deep, dark, cushioned fruit, seemingly textured – not bad for aligoté! Bright and fresh, lovely clarity and energy. Fine wine, super aligoté – super finish!
2014 Bourgogne Côtes d’Auxerre Blanc
100% Chardonnay. Already bottled since August – there isn’t much due to the hail.
Another nose with some pyrazine notes – but broad, fresh and inviting. Fresh, supple, lithe and energetic – this is lots of fun in the mouth.
The next three wines from barrel:
2014 Bourgogne Côtes d’Auxerre Corps de Garde
Fresher, brighter nose. Wide, complex, mouth-watering wine – lots of energy and intensity here, without any aggression. Just a very lovely wine! Great finishing too – simply lovely!
Pronounced like Beaumonts, from a single parcel of vines, south-west facing on Kimmerigian ground – one of the parcels with most clay.
Deep, faintly oaked nose. Fresh but not harsh, layered flavour, long and absolutely tasty. Even better with a very faint agrume/grapefruit impression in the finish. Bravo!
2014 Bourgogne Côtes d’Auxerre Geules de Loup
A faint pyrazine over a modest freshness – then the wine goes quite deep. Fresh and wide here, but obviously more of everything else too. Very good!
2014 Bourgogne Côtes d’Auxerre Gondonne
Not shown as only just finished its malo.
2014 Saint-Bris Moury
From a north, north-west-facing parcel. Moury is old French for Meurgers.
Deep and varietal SB. In the mouth less-so as here is a supple, cool, mouth and contour-filling wine. Lots of energy. Floral finishing too.
2014 Saint-Bris Exogyra Virgula
Named after the small fossils in the vineyard.
More tempered aromatic, less obviously sauvignon. In the mouth a faint fizz of gas but wink and it’s gone. Lovely over the palate, with supple and subtle complexity and interest. This is very tasty. Lovely finishing flavour.
2014 Saint-Bris Corps de Garde
Wide aroma, modestly herbed and fresh. A little gas again. Energy and complexity here – this is super. Lots of flavour dimension, all fresh with nothing aggressive – just a lovely wine – I think I’m searching for the word ‘elegant’ and you don’t here that every day about sauvignon blanc!
“It depends on the vintage but normally it takes 6-7 years for the exuberance of sauvignon blanc to become more modest and the wines are very different and much finer then… much of the Saint Bris is still quite young as much is recently planted, let’s say 20-30 years old,” notes Guilhem.