Pinson – 2014

Update 2.3.2016(1.3.2016)billn

DSC09205Tasted in Chablis with Charlène and Laurent Pinson, 26 January 2016.

Domaine Pinson
5, quai Voltaire
89800 Chablis
Tel: +33 3 86 42 10 26
www.domaine-pinson.com

Laurent on 2015:
“With 2015 we’re very happy. Of-course the black mark was the hail, but fortunately it was only a couple of days before the harvest and, let’s be honest, it would have been catastrophic if it had been two weeks earlier. It helps that we harvested everything by hand. The wines look rich and concentrated but they don’t lack acidity. Less volume in the mouth than 2011 probably maybe the style is more like 2005.”

Laurent on 2014:
A vintage for us that’s very Chablis, very pleasant and saline, fresh and aromatic. Lots of energy. Also a very impressive concentration in this vintage – crystalline. Just a little more yields than 2013 but less than 2015.

Laurent is also working with Charlène and Julien on a small négoce operation, with three labels that were not already in the domaine – a partnership with the producers of the grapes, also these hand harvested.

The wines…

2014 Charlène and Julien Pinson, Petit Chablis
Faintly toasty reduction, a little herb and salinity. Round, cushioned intensity, just a suggestion of fat. Lots of energy and complexity here. Simply a very agreeable wine – yum!

2014 Charlène and Julien Pinson, Chablis
Both these bottled end of May.
Clean, pure Chablis, a nose of delicate minerality rounded with a saline edge. More pliable, rolling over the tongue, plenty of classic sweet mouth-watering acidity and minerality. Really classic and fine. Good persistence too.
2014 Chablis
4 hectares here, about 50:50 right and left bank, sealed with DIAM. 100% tank elevage here.
Very similar to the last wine, mineral and fresh, a silky impression, less overtly saline. The palate has just a hint more padding but there is the same sweetly mouth-watering character, super intensity and lots of love. Another very fine villages wine – just a little more intense in the finish, but character is the same.

2014 Chablis cuvée Mademoiselle
Old barrels used – a single tiny parcel on top the hill some way above the Montée de Tonnerre. A little extra skin contact before pressing. Depending on the vintage 24-36 hours. Barrique and skin maceration too – actually whole grapes.
Deep, musky, there’s oak but not heavily so – really its more of a musky perfume. Round, moth-filling, growing intensity – there’s certainly oak as a back-drop. This has a hint less energy but more weight, more gravitas. The flavours all share the oak backdrop but this is very tasty wine indeed – yet I prefer the honest energy of the first two.

2014 Chablis 1er Forêts
Bottled at the beginning of September – during the hail almost.
Less wide a more intense and deep nose. A little cushioning, some sweetness and ever-growing width – this starts narrow and just gets wider and wider. There’s a little oak flavour in the background but this is very tasty minerality wrapped in a modest, attractive sweetness. Yum!

2014 Chablis 1er Montmains
About 150 metres from the Fôrets but same height up on the hill. Argille blanche/bleu less white stone than Fôrets.
A little more width, the oak is visible but so is a very silky impression to this nose. Wider, more obviously mineral, the oak hardly present in the mouth – just joyous flavour here. Bravo!

Now move to right bank.

2014 Chablis 1er Fourchaume
In Vaupoulot just changing the orientation a little, similar to that of the middle of Montée de Tonnerre
A subtle nose, that’s faintly textured by the oak, but only faintly. Rounder, hardly cushioned, but with fine flowing acidity and minerality all the same. Lovely layers of flavour in the finish. This is super. The oak is only an anecdote really at the end of the finish. Super!

2014 Charlene et Julien Pinson, Chablis 1er Montée de Tonnerre
Really a nose of depth, a mix of subtle oak and reduction below a fine fresh top note. Wide, really lovely, waves of flavour, a richness to that flavour too – without detriment to the balance. Again just an oak anecdote right in the finish. Really super!!

2014 Chablis 1er Mont de Milieu
Biggest parcel of the domaine, 4.5 hectares in two blocks, the big parcel works really well raisonné because there is no neighbourly influence…
Fresh and pretty nose, here with a faint floral note and a very much implied mineral depth. Wide, gorgeously melting over the palate, waves and waves of flavour – just a super impressive wine. Virtually no oak to speak of – super persistent – simply excellent!
2014 Chablis Les Clos
From 4 different parcels, but the total is 2.5 hectares. Various vine ages from 8-45 years. To be bottled tomorrow.
The nose is just a little tight, but it has that special vibrancy of the best in 2014. Gorgeous. Mouth-filling, a hint of richness to the texture, but this is muscle not fat. Mineral and totally impressive. The finish is not loud, there’s a certain discretion, only here will you note some oak, but what length… Really a super 2014!

And to finish…

2013 Chablis 1er Mont de Milieu
“There are 2 types of 13s those that harvested before or after the rainstorm!” says Laurent.
A sweetness of ripe fruit, faintly apricot and yet fresh. Round, beautifully full, a certain richness and sweetness – clearly lots of minerality – really a delicious, mouth-watering wine – drink it today!

2013 Chablis Les Clos
Here the nose is almost vibrant; deep, mineral but, at the same time, sweetly fruited. Wow wine – layered, intense, super-wide, a little richness to the texture, growing salinity and minerality. This is just indescribably tasty today – bravo! Maybe my wine for 2016 Christmas lunch!

2008 Chablis Les Clos
To start its a deep but tight nose, a little vibration perhaps. Wide and intense, a richness of intense and engaging – indeed delicious flavour. Just super long!

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