Malandes – 2016

13.1.2018billn

Tasted in Chablis with Richard Rottiers, Amandine Marchive and Guénolé Breteaudeau, 04 January 2018.

Domaine des Malandes
11 route d’Auxerre
89800 Chablis
Tel. +33 3 86 42 41 37
www.domainedesmalandes.com

Lyne Marchive has decided to take her retirement, spending plenty of time now in Le Touquet, when away from Chablis. Guénolé is still here responsible for the winemaking, but now it’s safe for Lyne’s son and daughter, Richard and Amandine, to come to the fore!

The team on 2017:
2017 was quite hard. We were frosted for 14 days – it was a horror. We typically use candles in 4 parcels but it was necessary to make small fires as the candles were exhausted – with no mare stock – after only 3 nights. Mont de Milieu was the only non-frosted parcel for us and gave a very rare full harvest. But we lost a lot of Chablis in Prehy and where it was a nightmare from frost – incidentally we have 5 hectares here that are now protected by nets – but there was no hail in 17!

The team on 2016:
2016 was basically the same horror as 2017, maybe a hint more, but this vintage from the combination of 3 factors – frost, hail and mildew. Our biggest loss was to the hail – 8 ha of Chablis with virtually 100% losses. Yet in some corners, Vaudevey for instance, it was a normal harvest – then in the Côte de Lechets there was only 25% left – but villages Chablis was the worst. For the first time ever, we abandoned harvesting in the Côte de Lechet. The only positive thing was the end of the harvest, the weather was optimal and the grapes good – we should say even more-so in 2017 than 2016. The wines are very Chablis, mineral with a good tension. Not specially concentrated if we compare to 2017. But about half a harvest.

The wines…

A very strong set of wines – fresh, and more classic than ripe in style.

2016 Bourgogne Chardonnay
Bought grapes, local but not in the Chablis aoc – region St.Bris
A little fresh herb, attractive and inviting. Lots of concentration here, melting flavour a little very attractive bitters in the finish. Bright delicious wine. For a little less than €6 ex cave – great!
2016 Petit Chablis
Much in La Chapelle and Lignorelles plus Bienes
A finer, wide but less overt nose. A little extra sucrosity, long, delicious wine. I love the mix of sweetness and acidity here – bravo.

2016 Chablis
The largest cuvée of the domaine. 15 hectares, three parcels in Prehy but almost 8 ha lost there. Another parcel near Montmains and Côte de Lechets. Practically all left bank
A more incisive nose, more precision. More supple over the palate a little more melting and mineral really a beautifully refreshing wine that reverberates over the palate – yum!

2016 Chablis Vieilles-Vignes Tour du Roy
Right bank, 60-year-old vines close to Vaudesir but due to their orientation classed as villages. Doing a lot of work here, ‘it’s almost like dentistry to save the vines from ESCA.’ Barrel elevage.
Good width and again precision, here with a more floral aspect. A subtle salinity but fresh and modestly excellent – less overt but more complex over the palate – super!

2016 Chablis 1er Côte de Léchet
Vines about 40 years old. All tank elevage. ‘It’s very stony here, we prefer to preserve that with stainless-steel – almost 1.4 hectares that are worked by horse
A modest but fine nose. Delicate, pure, melting and mineral, a good base of semi-sweeteness to make the package. Delicious and super mineral finishing.

2016 Chablis 1er Vau de Vey
Very steep vineyard near Beines – it doesn’t have the sun the whole day so is harvested a little later. A mix of hand and machine harvesting. The biggest 1er cru parcel of the domaine. Half barrel elevage.
The first with an attractive vibration of reduction. Really a much more overtly mineral wine – classically so, with a melting mid-palate, extra energy after finishing – the first – it’s a great finish.

2016 Chablis 1er Montmains
Old vines – planted by grandfather – a masalle selection like the Tour du Roy, approaching 65 years old. 30% barrel.
A little more weight of aroma – more structured, but with melting flavour, yet very charming, deliciously complex and a little saline in the finish. This is really excellent Chablis. Bravo!
2016 Chablis 1er Fourchaume
From the heart of the historic Fourchaume, parcels from father and grandfather – also about 65 years-old. Lots of millerandes so hand harvested – again about 30% new wood.
A vibration of minerality once more, here with a little floral accent. Ooh what a line in this wine, mineral, direct, slowly melting flavour – really a super width and dimension of flavour in the mid and finish. Fine, complex finishing lots of individual notes still present. Top!

2016 Chablis 1er Mont de Milieu
A small parcel since 2011– 0.25 ha – swapped some Vaudesir for this – but not the ownership! They simply work each other’s parcels! Always the first parcel to be harvested.
A really fine nose that’s a blend of fruit, flowers and fresh minerals – very inviting. Just a little extra depth of texture, growing in intensity, but cushioned at the same time, followed by a nice peak of considered but freshly delicious flavour. Really a fine wine…

2016 Chablis Vaudesir
Hand harvested from the ‘coté lunaire, not solaire’, needs harvesting 3 or 4 days later. 100% in barrel for 10 months followed by ss for a total of 13-14 months of elevage. Directly opposite Le Moutonne, and now worked by horse though not yet for this 2016.
Really the first nose that’s a little tighter – also with a touch oak. Supple, bubbling concentration, an extra depth of flavour, accented with oak but not too distractingly. Impressively long, very impressively.

2016 Chablis Les Clos
All by hand and with the same elevage as the Vaudesir.
Since the Bourgogne, this is the first full-power nose – fresh, complex, yes a little oak but very impressive. Mouth-filling, fresh, complex, wine of sucrosity and simply deliciousness – the oak on the nose is hardly mirrored on the palate – it’s very well hidden. Simply a sumptuous but fresh and delicious wine – fabulous! “This is exactly the style that we try to achieve.

And for the road:

2005 Chablis Tour du Rois
Really a very young colour. Complex, fresh, almost biscuity but not overtly of maturity. Concentrated, but with with fine energy, mineral, young, a hint of pyrazine complexity, long, long. A young wine and not yet a fully a delicious wine, but definitely a very interesting one that I’m happy to have met. Long. The nose is just getting better and better!

2009 Chablis 1er Montmains
A little mustiness to start but it quickly fades. Round, some sweetness and concentration. Hm, mineral, delicious, complex – it’s easy yet so complex – simply super. Who could not love?

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