Tasted in Chablis with Laurent Vorcoret, 07 January 2020.
Domaine Yvon & Laurent Vocoret
9 Chemin de Beaune
89800 Maligny
Tel; +33 3 86 47 51 60
www.chablis-yvon-vocoret.com
More reports for Domaine Yvon & Laurent Vocoret
Laurent on 2019:
“The year wasn’t too bad in the vines, I was worried about the frost in April of course but it wasn’t so bad in Maligny. Dry and very clean grapes, no interventions needed – treatment ‘lite’ in the summer. The start of flowering wasn’t great weather, because of that we had a lot of small grapes – there were lots of grapes but they were all small! I saw some roasting of the grapes during those couple of days over 40°C in July, the finishing maturity we had to wait for, I started harvesting 16 September – a couple of times before harvest we had some millimetres of rain which ensured that we had the proper maturity. Aromatically better than 2018 I think – generally a better balance too.”
Laurent on 2018:
“A similar style of year, except that the spring was warmer – it was nicer weather sooner, again the phytosanitary aspects needed only treatment-lite – no real interventions were necessary. 9 June had some hail though, we thought we’d lost some volume, but when we saw the volume at harvest we needn’t have worried – I don’t expect to see it many more times in my life. I think the rain at the start of 2018 saved a lot the vintage, because of that there wasn’t too much suffering in the vines. ”
The wines…
Always wines of character at this domaine – some or all of the villages I usually rate as great buys – this vintage it is the recalcitrant 1er crus – by far not ready – that caught my eyes!
Petit Chablis excepted, all bottled in inert atmosphere Long corks, even for the Petit Chablis, All natural cork, Ndetec corks so hopefully no TCA. The whole range was botted in July.
2018 Petit Chablis
All Maligny – the domaine just has 0.3 ha in Villy. The Portlandian limestone here has much bigger fossilised mussels vs the tiny shellfish that are classic in the Kimmerigian.
A nice nose, not full power but inviting. Round, supple, nicely structured – ripe I the middle, but with lovely mouth-watering, slightly mineral impression. Bubbling along nicely… Yum and nicely long too!
2018 Chablis
A bigger brighter nose, This is a super invitation – yes! Big, energetic, could only come from Chablis, lovely intensity in this width of flavour – a great, partly floral, but mainly mineral finish. Long again. Excellent!
Three old parcels, all vinified in barrel – from 1928 vines.
This has a rather pronounced oak on the nose – there is freshness behind too. Super in the mouth – freshness, energy great shape – of course, lots of oak too. If you like oak you could get tons of enjoyment from this already – I would wait 2+ years for the barrel to fade. Bravo in its style!
2018 Chablis 1er Fourchaume
Perfumed, mineral, almost a little floral – very nice! Round, a little cushion to this wine but it’s also very mouth-watering, indeed juicily mineral in the finishing flavours. This is very good – long finishing on a fine and classic minerality…
2018 Chablis 1er Homme-Mort
‘Always ready before the Fourchaume – it has a different finesse’
Here the nose is more compact – but fine. More amplitude, more mouth-filling than the Fourchaume – lots of energy and plenty of concentration too. The finish is a little more structural and less ready than the Fourchaume, but generally this is the larger and more interesting wine – super length again.
2014 Chablis 1er Exquise
A white bottle, grapes planted in 1979 from Fourchaume, Laurent’s bithyear – a cold sector – ‘they are more serious here.’ Not a longer elevage, but they keep the bottles back – this is the currently available vintage. There haven’t been recent vintages of this wine made – it was made 2009-2014. In 2018 there will be another cuvée but ‘in a different form.’
A little note of grilled notes, becoming wider, a little suggestion of menthol too. Ooh, that’s a lovely line, a direct wine, of intensity, vibrant wine, holding a strong finishing line. This is excellent, very mineral too!
And to finish a report on the warm 2018 what about another sunny and warm vintage?
2003 Chablis 1er Fourchaume
This is a relatively modest colour for a 2003. Wax, a little lanolin – tokay style. Full in the mouth, a nice minerality, there is depth of round and ripe texture, a hint of quince, a hint of finishing tannin and great length – fully mineral, in the finish – it could really only come from Chablis. What a treat – the longer it’s in the glass, the better it shows!