Tasted in Préhy with Céline and Frédéric Gueguen, 14 January 2019.
Domaine Céline et Frédéric Gueguen
31, Grande rue de Chablis
89800 Préhy
Tel: +33 3 86 41 45 06
www.chablis-gueguen.fr
Fred on 2018:
2018 – we started about the 5 September – 12-13 days of harvesting – we’ve parcels in quite different places so it allows us to follow well the maturity, and we have good acidity. Plants were certainly a little blocked in the summer, but clearly they had a reserve as they came through quite well that withought rain.
Fred on 2017:
“2017 – Also an early harvest but we started 3 days later than in 2018. Perhaps the wines are a little more energetic than those of 2018. I’m always concerned that we might have wines that are too round, hence the in early harvests – but like in 2018 we seem to have preserved a good acidity – and that was important.”
Any new things? “We’ve planted some Bourgogne Blanc but otherwise the surface of the maison hasn’t changed. All wines bottled between march and July 2018.”
The wines…
Like Brocard and Puize – early pickers – this has brought such a classic line and fresh energy – If that’sm your thing, you’re going to love these wines!
From 2018 all the wines will be DIAM sealed, not just the entry ones – screw-cap will remain.
2017 Sacy, Cépage Confidential
Bottled in March. Always the last vines harvested.
Fresh, saline – you would think chardonnay – more mineral, less fruit. Ooh – line, direct, really mouth-watering, plenty of acidity – in this case. Mouth-puckering, direct and oh-so juicy – yes!
From 1.3 hectares in Préhy. Here with screw-cap, half is done with DIAM also.
A little extra wide, a little more citrus aroma. Nice volume really an open freshness, mineral and saline – ingraining flavour – ooh this has energy and complexity – bravo!
From Préhy and Chichée – 6.5 hectares worth.
Hmm, citrus but with a fume minerality. Nice volume in the mouth. Fresh, beautiful citrus fruit – energy and complexity – this is just so delicious and great finishing too!
2016 Chablis 1er Vosgros
Two parcels, one in Vosgiros, together about 0.45 ha and with about 25 years of age. Normal cork – bottled in July.
Also a tiny touch of the fumé here but more overt depth to the fruit on this nose. Fuller, more mouth-watering, a touch more sucrosity too. Like all the wines so far, transparent – very fine clarity. Intense and a little saline finishing – excellent.
42-year-old vines in one single parcel, planted in 1975.
Also fumé style this year – it doesn’t smell like reduction – it is very light though – certainly a mineral wine where the citrus aroma is on a more subtle level. Hmm, melting over the palate, just a little more depth to the fine texture. So long, so beautifully mineral and juicy finishing – ooh this is great – bravo!
2017 Chablis Blanchot
Bought grapes – vinified in tank like all the other wines – currently there’s no interest to try any barrel elevage, also not in big barrels. ‘The door locked when this was bottled, it was very serious for a few months but it’s now relaxed again.’
Hmm, the family nose, but clearly a nose with plenty of salinity. Fuller, a little more sucrosity again. Line, length, it’s just another small step up like the Vaucoupin was – but further in exactly the same directions. Ooh this is so good!