Tasted in Maligny with (left to right) Stephanie and Benjamin Laroche plus Vanessa Gicquel, 18 January 2017.
La Manufacture
7, Rue des Maisons Rouges
89800 Maligny
Tel: +33 6 45 42 30 78
www.lamanufacture-vins.fr
One of the rare négociant operations that I visit here in Chablis, but they have done a fine work in selection, and wines are really worth your time.
Vanessa on 2016:
“2016 is going to hard. We have long associations with some growers in Chablis, but they can earn much more selling on bulk today than selling to La Manufacture. Of-course it’s impossible for us to consume the price increases, so we definitely won’t be growing in this vintage!”
Vanessa on 2015:
“Commercially its a really a good vintage, and the volumes are good – unless you were in the narrow hail corridor. That said, based on our own way of working, we are mainly still selling 2012 and 2013 here.
“Some reacted to the hail probably too quickly, some grapes were not yet ready, though fortunately after so long without rain things were very quickly dry and the nights were cool – so there was the opportunity to wait a little. I might describe the wines as dynamic.”
The wines…
DIAM5 used for everything. Another fine selection of wines – a label to appreciate where you see it…
From the Côtes d’Auxerre, mainly sold in France, ‘it’s almost too pale for America!’ Have just finished selling the 2012, will probably start with this in another year.
No oak, but this is a very perfumed glass – medium-pale in colour. Nice volume, complex, almost creamy – zero austerity. Fresh, very pretty cherry fruit. Finishing well too. Delicious wine, a touch of finishing tannin.
2015 Aligoté
‘Currently selling 2014, from an interesting producer in the Côte d’Auxerre.’
Roundness of aroma, a modest sweetness of fruit. Round, but fine and fresh not a wine of weight, really a beautiful balance of easy drinking but always interesting flavour. Long narrowing, even a little mineral. Fresh and engaging, tasty wine.
2015 Bourgogne Côte d’Auxerre Chardonnay
Probably not commercialising until 2018
A certain rigour to the nose after the last, mineral and fresh, nice though. Mineral, fine, cool fruit, works its way over the to gums, really a very fine finishing flavour, yes it needs a little time, but this is a lovely mineral wine, such that you could easily pour this blind and say its a Chablis…
From the plateau. Bulk prices are not far away from those of villages Chablis. Will start to commercialise in the summer
Here the nose has a riper lemon character. Quite yellow. Supple, nice texture, very good complexity, this is very easy to drink, yet it’s finely citrussy and mineral too. A very delicious PC – just gorgeous in the finish. Bravo!
2015 Chablis
A wide, rather mineral and fresh nose. Also round in the mouth, saline with a good accent of sweetness. This is very tasty, lemon/lime in the finish. Not a wine that shouts, but very fine and enjoyable.
This will be commercialised later in the year. There’s a small amount of oak elevage here.
Ooh, here is a more overt nose of freshness and saline citrus, plus a late arriving subtle oak note. In the mouth this is excellent – there’s volume, beautiful fresh but sweetly edged citrus fruit. A hint too much oak at this stage, but 2015 supports it with aplomb, and the wine remains absolutely delicious.
About 20% oak elevage.
A relatively tighter nose, but a fine and delicate citrus with a little more weight of minerality below. Lovely, silken texture, mineral, zero austerity just a growing fresh complexity, only towards the end with a little oak. Really a fine, composed and delicious wine. A wine that really doesn’t need more energy – fine and complex and über-tasty. Really gorgeous flavour in the finish, suggesting a hint of pear… I keep coming back to this finish!
2015 Chablis 1er Beauroy
Normally a later harvest. 30% sees oak
A little larger-scaled nose – a freshness that’s more lemon than agrume. Hmm – this is very wide, mineral but like the others, not too rigorous, and delivers a lovely melting flavour. Beautiful, clean, mineral and tasty. No obvious oak. Just the finish is a hint less engrossing than the Vau-Ligneaux.
A small cuvee, all elevage in larger barrels.
Really an open nose with agrumes notes – almost a clarity of grapefruit. Hmm, also in the mouth, cool, grapefruit, but never sour. A hint more rigour in the finishing minerality so wait a few month – otherwise simply top! I love the character of this wine.
For 6 months saw 30% oak.
A ripe, fresh nose, a little honey aspect to the fruit. Hmm really very wide. A little cushioning to the texture. The fruit reflects the nose but with a certain vibrancy – I’m thinking quince in style. The finish is a little different, a long agrume that’s clean and engaging. Super wide. Great stuff, even if I marginally prefer the style of the previous wine.
2015 Chablis 1er Vaillons Vieilles Vignes
‘Usually the most opulent’ one year in demi-muids, From 55-100 year-old vines.
A round nose. Made a little heavier by the oak accent. In the mouth this has fine energy, and an insinuating flavour. Lovely shape, lovely line and there’s fine presence too. Really the oak needs to fade a little for my palate. But there is already lots to like, particularly the floral aspect in the mouth-watering finish, where there’s also a little phenolic texture too. Wait 12 months…
2015 Chablis Blanchots
An early harvest ‘to save the furniture’ as the French say (translated). They currently selling the 2013 of this. Also 12 months in barrel in this elevage.
A large palate of aroma, fresh, no oak to see. Full in the mouth, depth of flavour. Mineral, very nicely textured, agrumes that are more in the direction of oranges, some opulence but beautiful delivery and fine presence on the palate. Not they biggest finishing but really very fine length.