Tasted with Jean-François Bordet in Maligny, 10 January 2019.
Domaine Séguinot-Bordet
8 Chemin des Hâtes
89800 Maligny
Tel: +33 6 45 47 44 42
www.seguinot-bordet.fr
Jean-François on 2018:
“Of-course it’s great to have the volume, especially after two low volume years, but to have such volume with zero added sugar – I’ve never seen that. Additionally I harvested some vines at 2 am to capture the freshness and florals – I’m happy with that. I started the 10th September and I’ve never seen grapes like it – my best guess is that it’s like 1947! But don’t get me started talking about those people that harvested with 10.5° on 20 August and were asking if they could use more sugar…!
“The are fermenting – long – malos not yet done.”
Jean-François on 2017:
“2017 started terribly with the April frost. Here with Villy, Lignorelles and Vaupelteigne we were the worst hit by the frost. I did a little better than some neighbours, at the cost of a lot of candles. The candles were in a 6ha parcel of Chablis – villages – I was lucky to have made the big order in November. We managed a yield of 38-40 hl/ha with candles – neighbours who didn’t heat had much less than 20. The two vintages (2016+2017) together have less wine than one normal vintage. Otherwise it was quite a simple and dry vintage without complications – I actually harvested relatively late in mid-September.
“So, after only doing 3 hl/ha in 2016 it had to be a lot better in 2017 – so it was, we did 15 times more! Of-course that’s less than the rendement but I’m happy. In the end it’s a vintage that’s quite typically Chablis – but completely gourmand, with clarity – you can knock back the whole bottle – no problem! A wine of ease, a wine to enjoy.”
The wines…
I just love the zing and great finishes of Jean-François’ wines this year.
Plateau in Maligny is all clay, almost no stones – this brings a floral, just some large stones – indistinguishable from the grand cru rock. This with screw-cap – also plenty screwcaps for villages Chablis. Bottled in July after elevage on lees.
A little narrow, but fresh, open, faintly herbed, growing in depth. Round, depth, great intensity and concentration for the label. So long. Great Petit Chablis!
2017 Chablis
Here from Maligny, there are some parts with clay but mainly it is more stony ground. ‘Maligny does have a certain roundness though.’ Not is all bottled at the same time. Testing some screw-cap. That’s this one
A relatively tight nose – quite saline though. Supple, nice lime fruit, some concentration – a calm wine but a very, very tasty wine.
Three parcels with vine ages of 111, 83, and 55-60, all worked by horse for 3 years now.
Not so wide but deep and attractive and perfumed – really super. Volume and complexity – open, with balanced concentration, layered – simply great wine for the label – bravo!
Today this is 100% from Homme Mort, 55-56 year-old vines. This bottled in July.
Ooh – that’s another beautiful nose – floral and beautifully perfumed. Ooh this has more line and intensity, Holding very long in the finish too – just keeps going – lime marmalade – great stuff!
2017 Chablis 1er Vaillons
From bought grapes – labelled Jean-Francois Bordet.
A much wider nose – fine complexity – almost a spice. More open, less incisive, but mobile, changing, touched with salinity – really just hitting the high notes with a super finishing intensity – ooh that’s a great finish – excellent wine. Like a golf-ball that stays long and low before suddenly gaining altitude – but I’m clearly no golfer!
2017 Chablis Les Preuses
A new label. Also bottled December. Elevage mainly in stainless-steel – plus 15% barrel – inspired by the old wine of Billaud-Simon which JF loved.
Ripe but fresh and vibrant too. Full, mineral, ripe fruit again, but a wine of melting complexity – really only a touch of oak in the mid and finishing flavour where there’s a nice touch of aniseed too. Long, composed – a wine to wait a little time for – it’s far too easy today.
2, 3 and 4 year old barrels – all 500 litre.
Perfumed nose again, flowers, maybe an accent that hints to oak. More drive, more overt fresh and mineral but with sucrosity, ooh this is simply great. I love. NO obvious oak until the very last act of the finish but mixed with the zest of an orange – deliciously great!