Tasted in Chablis with Charlene & Laurent Pinson, 08 January 2020
Domaine Pinson
5, quai Voltaire
89800 Chablis
Tel: +33 3 86 42 10 26
www.domaine-pinson.com
More reports for Domaine Pinson
Charlene on 2019:
“2019 brought a volume similar to 2017: Wines of good structure and balance and a maturity that’s practically more than in 2018. With 18 together we average out at a correct volume over two vintages, but many people will be looking for 19s not 18s in 12 months time!”
Charlene on 2018:
“The vintage is certainly something exceptional – we asked around and nobody has an idea of an equivalent – the wines are probably better than 1990 and who really has experience of 1947? It was probably a vintage that favoured the older vines with roots that could reach the, fortunately, generous water that came in the Winter and Spring. The dryness didn’t swamp the young vines but it wasn’t easy for them either. Total acidity is not especially high but from the perspective of pH which is more what you taste, we have 3.1-3.2 – that’s perfect. A nice feeling – especially after 3 small vintages. It was the Chablis villages vines with about 10 years of age that had the most yield, but we’ve also never seen so much from the old vines.”
The wines…
A great result for the team here – there’s no denying the 2018 vintage presence, but these delicious wines have much minerality and something even rarer in 2018 – plenty of maritime salinity. Many super wines!
Everything now in bottle, the Clos was done just before Christmas. It was a normal time for the fermentations so no problem for normal bottling.
2018 Charlène and Laurent Pinson, Petit Chablis
From close to Maligny, 4th vintage bought.
That’s a pretty and fine nose, width and cushioned freshness. Wide, predominantly mineral cushioned by a little ripe fruit, layered. Good energy. Excellent PC with lovely length!
2018 Chablis
Right bank below Mont de Milieu plus one other. About 50 years old vines on average.
Ooh, that’s a mineral, slightly reductive nose. Fresh, vibrant, good fruit though – an underlying faint reduction for sure but here’s a fine, mouth-watering, mineral wine that’s just on the right side of the delicious/austere border. Very nice indeed long again too – Excellent 2018!
Vines high in the valley of Montée de Tonnerre on white soil. This with the skin contact before pressing, all old barrel elevage, more than 5 years old. Last part of elevage in tank.
The first wine with an overt aromatic salinity. In the mouth too, a depth that comes from the barrels but the oak flavour is rather faint. This won’t need much time for it to disappear. A touch of tannin at the very end. Super wine – in fact bravo!
Now move from DIAM to Cork..
2018 Chablis 1er Vaillons
Hmm, that’s a nicely, and predominantly, mineral nose, just a suggestion of the saline. Hmm, lovely clarity, depth, almost a little tannic grain again. Long and wide finish. There’s energy but I still find this a little contemplative – wide and long finishing – tasty wine.
A small parcel. South-facing, similar soil to Forets. 25 year-old vines.
Here a little more aromatic volume, faintly saline, deep and attractive. Ooh, a wine that relaxes its flavour over the palate delicious, complex, louche – just a wine that will disappear so quickly if you leave the bottle on the table. Bravo!
2018 Chablis 1er Forêt
The vines planted 1955/56, right at the start of Forêts – a very limestone soil.
A nice width of aroma, subtly complex, a little less deep. Cooler fruit, more overtly mineral, more classic – not quite austere but there’s not much of that extra padding that 2018 can bring. Mouth-staining depth of finishing flavour – you can have as much patience as you like here – it’s almost serious in the finish!
Right at the end of Montmains (real Montmains) about 150 metres from the Fôrets but same height up on the hill. Argille blanche/bleu less white stone than Fôrets.
Hmm, a little touch of salinity, there’s an attractive depth to this nose too. Wide, a beautiful blend of mineral and slightly cushioned fruit – that’s great right now – and a touch of salinity is to found here. Massive finishing – bravo!
Now moving to the right bank:
2018 Chablis 1er Fourchaume
In Vaupoulot just changing the orientation a little, similar to that of the middle of Montée de Tonnerre. Only tank elevage as it usually seems to big with barrel elevage.
Again a lovely extra of salinity on the nose. Rounder fuller, richer, not the tension of the others – but it grows with the minerality. And this is a super finish, really super.
This from bought grapes ‘it’s not that we need the volume, but I love to complete a nice range of crus’
Again a nice salinity, faintly reductive with subtle extra complexities. A little richness, a textural coating to the minerality, minerality with direction too – a layered, concentrated, just a faint touch of barrel in the very last notes. Really excellent, actually for 2018 this is great!
Biggest parcel of the domaine, 4.5 hectares in two blocks, ‘the big parcel works really well raisonné because there is no neighbourly influence. We like to harvest not too late to keep the direction and purity.’
Hmm – a bigger, more inviting complexity and higher-toned freshness – that’s first class. Sitting in the middle of the palate, not too large, beautiful flavours, fine minerality, just a little compact is my impression today – not a question of concentration, just shape – the length is brilliant again. A little young- have patience – if the palate fills out, and I’m sure it will, bravo, grand vin!
From 4 different parcels, but the total is 2.5 hectares. Various vine ages from 9-46 years. The only tank sample, this to be bottled in another week.
Hmm, a nice volume of aroma, similar to Mont de Milieu but with the extra high-tones – there’s a slowly growing depth to compensate. Yes! Driving, mineral, dynamic wine. A great Clos here this year – mouth-watering, contemplate only because it’s so long, great wine.
And a similar warm vintage?
2009 Chablis 1er Forêts
‘We had a lot less production in 2009 – it was still good, but compared to 2018…’
Starts with a little passion-fruit but quickly it’s gone, still ripe – a broad and invitingly complex nose, eventually becoming a little floral. Nice drive, this is alive and energetic, with a great length of finish that includes a suggestion of caramel, but salted caramel. The finishing mineral energy is really engaging. Lovely bottle, practically still a little austerity to this minerality. The fact that it’s still here and so tasty – a bravo 2009!