Tasted in Préhy with Laurent and Marie-Noëlle Ternynck, and Stéphane Sallet, 18 January 2018.

Domaine de Mauperthuis
3, Grande rue de Chablis
89800 Préhy
Tel: +33 3 86 41 42 70
www.domaine-marronniers.com

Laurent on 2017:
“We have delayed selling the last of the 2015s and prolonged a little the elevage of the 2016s as that vintage is short, 16 hl/ha average here in 2016. We have something closer to a normal yield in 2017, it was the frost in Beines (Maupertuis) that was the biggest hit. Fortunately we pruned late so that limited some of the damage.”

Laurent on 2016:
“Well the domaines are split into two areas – for Marronniers it was really terrible because of the hail. Prehy lost just about everything frost and hail.

“Domaine de Maupertuis was less touched, as much of the vines are near Beine so this was okay.

“We saw only 12 hl/ha in Irancy – and this was mainly due to mildew. But the reds look great with concentration and maturity. It was harder for the whites. In the end our volume was just 25% of a normal vintage.”

The wines…

As usual, just a super range of interesting and individual wines – I say that every year but they still spring surprises! Good wines, and many that are a long way from the beaten track…

First some reds:
2016 Maupertuis, Bourgogne Les Brûlis
Elevage in stainless steel, bottled in the Spring – ‘the reds generally had great maturity in 2016, for example Irancy with 13.7.’ No pigeage, no added yeast, no fining – nothing has changed except the length of average elevage.
Bright, a blend of flowers and herbs. Sweet, depth of flavour, layers of flavour indeed – almost a liqueur style to the flavour intensity – really interesting – it’s a wine of place not ‘pinot noir’ and it’s delicious!

2016 Maupertuis, Bourgogne César Cuvée Amphore
Optimistically labeled – because césar in not part of AOC, it should have a Côteaux Bourguignone label – ‘but we only have 500 bottles’ is the response. Harvested after the pinot, all by hand, 11.9° – which is high for césar.
Deep colour. Not a bad nose – not exciting but massively more interesting than the 2014 from here (not amphore). Volume, complexity, layered – ooh – that’s best I’ve ever tasted. Worth your time! The texture is more sophisticated than the previous pinot…

2016 Maupertuis Bourgogne Grand Reserve
‘Classic cuvée’ all barrel elevage – 15% new. 35 hl/ha
Deep colour. Rather deep, macerating fruit. Energy, nice texture, lots if concentration really a good wine, a slightly macerated style vs pure pinot but still a delicious wine – very subtly accented with fine tannin.

2016 Maupertuis Irancy
Around 15 hl/ha – hail and frost, ‘it’s hard when it rains a lot in Irancy!’ 12 months of elevage with about 12% new oak. 13.8 natural after fermentation. Bottled about 1 month – the amphore wines were bottled in December.
Deep colour. Really an attractive, partly floral fruit on the nose. This is big wine, concentrated with some tannin at the base. At this young age it’s just a big but fresh pinot – I can’t see the Irancy right now – but give it chance…

Now an orange wine before a rosé wine!

2016 Maupertuis, Chablis Cuvée En Amphore
Also 12 months on skins in an amphora, with some time in acacia barrels before bottling.
Really something different – wide, a certain freshness, a certain spice but I lack some descriptors here. Mouth-filling, fresh, nice acidity and line. More than a suggestion of tannin. Long. Interesting, I’d go as far as to say tasty, but I would have no idea of the cepage or place…

Les blancs…

2016 Maupertuis, Bourgogne Chardonnay Les Truffièrre
From Irancy, but there’s no appellation for Irancy blanc.12 months on lees before bottling. Less than 40 hl/ha
Almost a little salt and pepper on the nose. Wide, growing intensity, fresh, pure delicious wine – Excellent.

Now Domaine des Marronniers:

2016 Petit Chablis
Normally from vines behind the buildings of JM Brocard. Because of frost and hail in Prehy, these grapes came only from Beines. Normally 6 months of elevage in tank, but pushed this to 12 in 2016.
A nice volume of aroma with some base in minerality. Plenty of volume again, pure, mouth-watering – juicy wine. A little reduction but really great flavour here, ripe fruit but cut beautifully with the structure of the wine – the flavour holds well.

2016 Chablis
Normally about 10 hectares worth. Essentially Prehy and Courgis – but necessarily more of the latter in 2016. 15% in foudres – these are usually reserved for the vieilles-vignes – but there’s no cuvee in 2016.
A deeply vibrant and attractive nose. Volume again, a little finer and more detailed. Lovely points of complexity – Excellent!

2016 Chablis 1er Montmains
2.5 ha but all in Butteaux. Also used an ‘available’ foudre for elevage.
Versus the last this is more about aromatic width than depth – though still with an attractive minerality. Similar volume to the last – to start – but there is more concentration and a growing intensity behind. There is a lot of wine here – concentrated but delivered with freshness and interest – this will only get better, but it’s pretty damn great today already. Excellent!

2016 Chablis 1er Côte de Jouan
Elevage in old barrels. Much smaller volume – currently only selling the 2014 as they say that this needs more time to open than the Montmains.
More depth of minerality, a little less width – here with a little yellow citrus complexity. Nice volume finer and more complex in the mouth – a more modest presence yet there’s more to find here. This is a super wine, more subtle but ultimately more rewarding. Long with a little salinity in the finish – a long diminuendo…

2016 Chablis Valmur
Only 400 litres, fermented in wood, and then elevage in an older 400 litre barrel.
A bigger, more forward nose – a wave of ripe yellow citrus followed by a subtle oak – it’s a fine invitation to drink. Bubbling with energy, perhaps some gas helping, full of complexity, minerality, ripe fruit but always with freshness and a togetherness – the oak is visible but very modest. A fine ensemble here – and VERY delicious – super wine.