Céline et Frédéric Gueguen – 2015

28.2.2017billn

Tasted in Préhy with Frédéric & Céline Gueguen, 19 January 2017.

Domaine Céline et Frédéric Gueguen
31, Grande rue de Chablis
89800 Préhy
Tel: +33 3 86 41 45 06
www.chablis-gueguen.fr

Rather like one of my previous visits this day (Clothilde Davenne), Fred was rather to the point with his vintage observations:

Fred on 2016:
2016 was complicated here!

“There was so much hail here in Prehy – in 17 of our 22 hectares it wasn’t possible to harvest. But the grapes that survived were good, also our vines in Chichée weren’t touched. For the 40% of people who only sell in bulk, they can go on holiday! €300-350 per barrel of Chablis in 2008/09 now getting closer to €1200!

Fred on 2015:
2015 – it’s a vintage par excellence.

The wines…

As last year, the wines here are delightful, intense, pure, complexy and persistent. Thumbs up for this super and mildly eclectic range!

2015 Côteaux Bourguignone Sacy
Only about 10 hectares remain – Gueguen have 0.30. This is an old vine sacy – 50 years old – in Saint Bris that takes a Côteaux Bourguignone label. Facing Northwest, planted between Chitry and Saint Bris. Produces a bit more than chardonnay, was widely planted in Chablis at one time, because as a late ripener, it avoided some spring frosts. Normally it’s a much more saline wine vs chardonnay Fermentations really the same as chardonnay – all fermentations, malo included and only in stainless steel.
A nice aromatic volume, some freshness and a little bready note. Hmm, this is fine, fresh, mouth-watering stuff. Indeed faintly but not overly saline. Wide and long finishing with a subtle citrus. Delicious and fresh – possibly an aperitif wine, but really delicious!

2015 Bourgogne Côtes Auxerre
West, south-west facing hillside.
A bigger nose, saline and sweet too – nice volume and freshness. Also nice volume in the mouth with freshness and a great line, and just a delicious finishing flavour. Bravo!

2015 Petit Chablis
From Préhy, 3 parcels 1.3 ha in total.
A wider palate of aroma – a little more fresh volume too – it’s very inviting. Supple, layered, delicious citrus and growing but never too rigorous minerality. Another super wine with a fine finishing floral addition. Excellent.

2015 Chablis
From Préhy and Chichée – 6 hectares in total.
A deeper nose, round but of more modest volume – certainly a little more classically saline. Wide and fresh, cool fruited, a little more silk to the texture, a little less overt energy, yet perfectly mouth-watering and mineral. This is a wine to wait a little longer for – maybe 6 months – but it will be worth it. Lovely and it’s a super, lingering finish.

2015 Chablis 1er Vosgros
Two parcels, one in Vosgiros, together about 0.45 ha and with about 25 years of age.
Round, but tighter, with saline hints, and also a suggestion of depth. Ooh, directly more weight a little extra depth of texture and more concentration of flavour. This really begins to fill the mouth, slowly mouth-watering, and with delicious, melting, fruit flavour. The sensation is of minerality but the flavours are of fruit – but really deliciously finishing fruit. Excellent!

2015 Chablis 1er Vaucoupin
40-year-old vines in one single parcel, planted in 1975.
Open, classically saline Chablis with just a suggestion of supporting citrus. Really excellent in the mouth – an almost steely minerality and freshness, yet cushioned with a modest sucrosity – long, almost layered finishing flavour that is, once more, simply delicious. Bravo!

2014 Saint Bris
3 parcels combined, mainly north-west facing like a lot of the sauvignon.
Bright, wide, clean and sweetly inviting. Hmm, this is very mineral – wide, mouth-watering, indeed steely stuff. Great St.Bris doesn’t shout sauvignon, and this is a great St.Bris. The finish is more sauvignon and almost minty, but this is very nice indeed.

2015 Irancy Les Mazelots
This was hailed a little but still managed to achieve 40 hl/ha.
Medium-plus colour. Deep, perfumed, faintly pyrazine, but simply, invitingly impressive. Fresh, clarity of ripe fruit behind, but I’m still very impressed by the line and freshness of this, it’s quite a mineral wine with fruit of very fine clarity. I would definitely give this some time, but the freshness together with the fruit – really a summer-fruit cocktail today. Yum!

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