Profile: Domaine de la Motte

Update 10.1.2018(27.2.2017)billn

Tasted in Beines with Adrien Michaut, 17 January 2017.

Domaine de La Motte
41 rue du Ruisseau
89800 Beine
Tel: + 33 3 86 42 49 61
www.chablis-michaut.fr

Domaine de la Motte have been here in Biene since 1960, the vines always in the family, but all their produce was sold the coop. Since 2011 they have chosen to exploit everything themselves. The family effectively run two domaines, one has 30 hectares, the other domaine, Michaud Frères, has 20 hectares. 250,000 bottles are currently commercialised, their objective is 300,000 – but for the moment, the produce of Michaud Frères is sold in bulk.

Adrien explains that harvesting is quite late here – maybe a month later than those that went first into the vines. They like a long elevage too, but having relatively recently started their domaine, they currently ‘only’ do a minimum 12 months – though some of the 15s will wait until March to be bottled.

Adrien on 2015:
2015 was a good vintage here and we took advantage of the VCI to add a little extra yield – which worked out well with 2016 in mind, though we were only a little touched by the frost here in 16. About half the production is exported and the largest export client at the moment is in the UK.

The wines…

All DIAM5 since 2013. This new-ish domaine is a great find!

2015 Chablis
12% oak here.
Ooh, bright, classic fresh and transparent – despite a touch of oak below. Bright and very wide on the palate – mouth-watering and really very tasty. There’s a slight suggestion of easiness, but it’s simply a delicious wine from the mid-palate onwards. Complex, and unfolding in the finish. Delicious!

2015 Chablis Vieilles-Vignes
40-60 year-old vines, some of the oldest vines today in Beines. Vines from grandparents. Here with some barrel and demi-muids for elevage.
A fine, controlled, but fresh and almost textured aromas. Wide, mineral, bright at the edges, mouth-watering, long and, for me, even nicer than the last, a super agrume line in the finish. Bravo!

2015 Chablis 1er Vaulignau
Really a nice depth of mineral aroma here – no obvious, overt fruit – but its attractive all the same. Hmm, wide, great texture, almost a suggestion of fat but the line and zing of the flavour take over before you think more about ‘fat.’ It’s really interesting that the fruit is quite ripe – maybe in the direction quince – but the palate is beautifully mouth-watering and mineral at the same time. This is a super combination and I like it very much.

2015 Chablis 1er Beauroy
Hee the nose is more classic and wide with a lovely agrume. Fresh, very faintly perfumed. Wide, gourmand, a certain ripeness at the core but a lovely waterfall of mouth-watering sweet acidity – perfect Chablis – Bravo! It’s really only the very last notes of the finish that announce a touch of oak – really very well done!

A little red anyone?

2015 Bourgogne Pinot Noir, De Neines
A modest, medium colour. Round, a hint of oak, freshness but a quite pretty pinot fruit behind. Hmm, that’s nicely mineral, if rather oak packed too. But supple sweet and tasty – provided you like some creamy oak! I suggest it would great to include in a blind tasting in a couple of years when the oak has diminished, but Adrien says that there wont be anything left – ‘It’s our cass-croute!

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