Tasted in Préhy with Frédéric & Céline Gueguen, 13 January 2021.
Domaine Céline et Frédéric Gueguen
31, Grande rue de Chablis
89800 Préhy
Tel: +33 3 86 41 45 06
www.chablis-gueguen.fr
More reports for Domaine Céline & Frédéric Gueguen
Fred on 2020 & 2019:
“2019 and 2020 were both down in volume – roughly 45 hl/ha. We lit candles but had no large losses. Then came a flowering that was okay but could have been better – not a large number of grapes to start with but the dryness reduced the amount of juice – unlike 2020 where there was quite a lot of grapes to start with but the dryness did its work again and there was, in the end, about the same amount of juice as in 2019.”
Export is still going well here. New this year will be a shop and offices in the centre of Chablis, opposite the old buildings of William Fevre.
The wines…
As each year, a seriously good selection of wines, with more than enough great wines to fill up a very above average case!
From 2018 the wines are DIAM sealed, not just the entry ones – some screw-cap will also remain. There was no Sacy to taste as the yields were only 9 hl (15 hl/ha) and they are completely sold out:
2019 Saint-Bris
From Céline’s family. Harvested quite late, normally with a little golden colour to the grapes.
A slightly rich but it’s a nicely balanced, mentholated, nose. Round, a little richness, a slight tannin at the base, mineral, salivating with a proper minerality in the finish, but not austere, not an exuberant finish but a long one. Delicious.
Old vines from Céline’s grandfather.
A larger nose, slightly saline and with also a small touch of citrus. Fresh, silky, ripe citrus but very mouth-watering, really lovely in the middle and finish. I honestly would not guess aligoté such is the class of this wine – bravo! I would not guess Aligoté, but I would guess the region.
2019 Bourgogne Chardonnay Côtes Salines
Vines south of Préhy, a little from around St.Bris too – but the latter is only about 20% of the mix
A deeper, more compact but mineral nose. Open, mineral, with cool-fruit, a relatively modest energy but still mouth-watering and long – with good finishing weight of flavour too. Wait 6-12 months before you start opening these, but it’s very lovely.
From 1.3 hectares in Préhy. Here half screw-cap, half DIAM.
A larger, more open nose, faintly touched with salinity and a stony aspect. Mouth-filling, I like the energy here, the shape, the mobile nature of the wine. That’s delicious, energetic lots of citrus acidity and nothing austere – super personality, eminently drinkable and the balance to keep. Bravo PC
From Préhy and Chichée – 6.5 hectares worth. With the Bourgogne the largest cuvée of the domaine.
Wide at the base, good salinity though a little tighter above. A similar volume in the mouth but the combination of salinity and minerality is more overt, a little more concentration visible here. Wide, intensely citrus – no pain! – that’s a beauty again.
2019 Chablis ‘1975‘
‘We wanted to do a different cuvée but everyone does ‘old vines’, they are not the oldest vines that we have, but they are the same vintage as me and Céline!’ Vines in Préhy. A little extra time in elevage but all in tank.
Complex, deep, less width at the base versus the last. An extra freshness in the mouth – similarly concentrated but with a little more drive and direction. Fanitly framed with a small grain of tannin. Long and mouth-watering. Fine style here.
2019 Chablis 1er Vosgros
Two parcels, one in Vosgiros, together about 0.45 ha and with about 25 years of age.
Wide – a lovely nose – really wide, more lemon-freshness here. Fresh, mineral and a lovely tension – classic Chablis – lovely finishing minerality – the only 1er of the right bank that’s exposed like one from the left-bank – more to the south-west. Really excellent wine for keeping.
Older vines in one single parcel, planted in 1975. Bottled end of November – managed to extend the elevage a little longer in the confinement year.
Super saline – ultra-classic Chablis, edged with fine citrus. Mouthfilling, cool-fruit, saline and energetic – I love the clarity here. A wine for keeping (if I can!) but beautiful classic wine with a touch more minerality in the finish. The Vosgros is more delicious today but this will be grand – Bravo!
2019 Chablis Brougros
A contract wine. Also bottled in November.
This excellent wine has an extra complexity and width of aroma – all is discrete but all is very inviting. A little extra comfort but the lines of flavour are sweeping and fine here, very mouth-watering and very silky – a wine that doesn’t shout but has a solid base of sophistication.
Bought in must since 2016. Just one barrel in the elevage of this – so a bit more 20%
The nose shows the barrel, indeed showcases the barrel. But in the mouth, the shape and style is fabulous – sleek, cool, with direction, complex, layered. That’s a great wine – but personally I’d wait 2-3 years for the oak to fade.
And three different colours to finish:
2019 Irancy Mazelots
Bottled in start of December. 100% pinot.
Broad, deep fresh, textured a nose with a bit of pyrazine that will hopefully become more floral. Sleek and fresh, a base of tannin though with hardly any grain. The finish is the most excellent part – quite a vibrant finishing fruit note with a deep mineral accent to the dark fruit in the finish. Super wine.
2020 Bourgogne Rosé
From Prehy – will be bottled in the next 10 days – it just needs degassing a little.
A pale salmon colour. An aroma that’s quite strong of pinot, deep too, almost suggesting a little bubblegum as it takes in the air – in fact it widens with air. Round, a certain richness of texture but with a fine and balancing acidity – never heavy. Full but mouth-watering, that’s a fine almost mineral but delicious finish. A lovely wine.
2014 Petit Chablis
A technical cork but not diam
Hmm there’s some development here – a core of ripeness. Beautiful freshness – of course – but starting to show some creamy flavours of maturity. Wide – coming into a good place here – absolutely no rush to drink, but it’s starting to drink very well!