Tasted in Chichée with Nathalie Oudin, 28 January 2016.
Domaine Oudin
5, rue du Pont
89800 Chichée
Tel: +33 3 86 42 44 29
Today it was raining – a lot; Nathalie arrived in full ‘rain-gear’ from the vines – and seemed happy to be pouring some wine, rather than pruning!
Nathalie on 2015:
“In 2015 we just about made our normal rendement – and for the first time in 4 years! Of course there was lots of rain before the harvest – about 80mm – this helped a lot as the grapes were very stressed. Fortunately they took up the water and we avoided having to harvest grapes with potentials of 13 or 13.5°. Chichée had really optimal conditions as it avoided the hail – so we were able to harvest about 1 week later than many domaines. The wines finished their fermentations in December – I’m happy when it’s all done by the end of the year! I was a little worried about the acidity but post-fermentation they seems okay – possibly not classic but let’s see, I won’t be reducing the length of my elevage.”
Nathalie on 2014:
“I much prefer to talk about this vintage! 45 hl/ha was achieved and of completely ripe grapes – the result is really typical Chablis. It was very hot during the flowering, this reduced the yields a little.”
“The market remains really strong, long-term clients some of over 20 years, both in France and export (50:50), are really supporting the domaine, and that’s without doing salons – okay there’s the Grand Jours de Bourgogne, but that’s only 3km away!” 😉
The wines…
A super selection chez Oudin – you can buy any wine with confidence in 2014 – until they sell out!
About 12 parcels are assembled here, and this represents about 65% of the domaine’s production.
A pretty and fine nose that has a certain vibration about it, faint reduction – nice. Super silky, with a growing richness of flavour. This is really wide and complex and, frankly, delicious! Very covetable, drinkable and enjoyable wine!
2013 Chablis Les Serres
Here with 2 years of elevage, the 14 is still in tank with its lees. Obviously a much smaller cuvée, from a particular parcel that is vinified separately but from a lovely plot – not old vines, maybe 25, but a super location.
A little extra roundness, yellow fruit and ripeness. Big, round, coloured with ripe yellow fruits – again. Almost a little impression of caramel – very tasty wine – the minerality is there and it’s almost as delicious as the last wine!
2014 Chablis Les Serres
From tank (so far), still lots of elevage to come.
Lighter colour, colder, a hint of reduction, almost like a palate cleanser after the 2013 – you have to wait for a suggestion of gas to fade but here is a width and a slowly growing texture. This will be (of-course) good – but this is too early for this sample, but very fine finishing…
2014 Chablis 1er Vaugiraut
Here is a note of agrume. Fresh, intense, full of energy – this is less about width and texture to start with, rather the energy and character – this really wants to talk – slowly the flavours melt over the tongue, they become more composed, still complex but with much more consideration – two personalities. Super and very, very tasty…
A more subtle nose, almost fume with a certain freshness below. Ooh – fine, silky texture – very wide indeed. Here with fine points of intensity – beautiful – very much a sleeping beauty of a wine this, it would be great to be there when it wakes – simply lovely. A beautiful long line of flavour in the finish that mixes fruit and mineral.