Tasted in Fleys with Cyril Gautheron, 27 January 2021.
Domaine Alain et Cyril Gautheron
18 Rue des Pregirots
89800 Fleys
Tel: +33 3 86 42 44 34
www.chablis-gautheron.com
More reports for Domaine Alain & Cyril Gautheron
Cyril on 2020:
“A very wet winter, we couldn’t get into the vines to work the soil before the end of March. But afterwards, we had plenty of time to be in our vines due to the lockdown! The kids couldn’t go to school so for some of the time they worked with us – it was nice to spend the time together. Essentially in the vines, apart from the wet start, the vineyard work was very easy because all was dry, without maladies. In the end, we had good acidities – that was the biggest surprise – and a very ‘correct’ yield. I would guess in tasting that the wines came from a hot vintage. Harvested from 28 August and less than 5% of the cuvées needed some chaptalisation.”
Cyril on 2019:
“Not everything is bottled right now and some will have more than one bottling. I found the wines a little too supple when I first started to taste them, but I like how they have tightened and become more direct.”
The wines…
Simply a very fine address for 2019s – I ordered a couple of these!
Principally the wines are sealed with DIAM5:
2019 Petit Chablis
Bottled October, this the domaine wine there’s an additional contract cuvée too.
A bright nose and of width too – faintly green citrus. Mouth-filling, fine energy, citrus skin and lots of mouth-watering flavour. That’s a lovely zesty finish too – delicious, excellent wine.
2019 Chablis
Bottled December, representing 21 hectares of vines; Fye, Chablis, Chichée vines – all right bank. ‘I think it’s the extra elevage that helps to expose the salinity and freshness in the wines.’
Narrower but deeper – some higher-toned reflections too – a more vertical nose. More mouth-filling and at the same time more mouth-watering too. A large block of finishing flavour – very persistent and quite slaine too – that’s another excellent wine.
3 ha of vines – 15 months on fine lees – the vines between the village and the 1er of Vaucoupin, made this since 2009 and worked organically here since 2009 too, without certification, ‘Sometimes I think the treatments are too much – I prefer a homoeopathic approach – of-course if something is needed. Of course, practically nothing was needed in the last 2 years. Some full-sun places the weeds died on their own.’
More open with a wider floral panorama. More directly mineral and saline too. Zesty citrus, tension, a little citrus bitters in the finish – classic and bravo!
2019 Chablis Vieilles-Vignes
Bottled December. Vines older than 55 years. A mix of tank and wood for the first part of elevage then assembled into stainless for the last part of elevage. Amount of wood depends on the vintage, here just over 30%.
A little softer but still quite a floral nose. Mouth-filling, a hint of the barrel in the flavour – but it’s already nearly gone. That holds a nicely persistent finish, super wine.
2019 Chablis 1er Vaucoupin
Two parcels that average nearly 50 years of age – older vines are coming too. October bottling for this. All tank elevage.
The nose is fuller and rounder – some citrus skin accents. The flavour has a small accent of reduction – but is sinuous, and finely textured – a small grain of tannin included. Tasty fruit and long finishing.
Have almost 3 ha of this. A lot of white clay with some blue clay in the mix. Probably to be bottled next week. Also tank elevage for this.
A vibrant, mineral, nose – not the largest volume – but still very inviting. Super mineral, well-textured – direct wine. Bravo – Chablis for keeping. Great finishing.
2019 Chablis 1er Fourneaux Vieilles-Vignes
This was bottled in August – ‘I didn’t have any more space during the harvest – it had to be done!’ About 75-year-old vines. Here about 15% of the elevage was in wood.
A wider, silkier lest direct nose. In the mouth, just rounding the edges of the last wine – still with energy but with extra comfort. Super finishing – I prefer the extra incisive intensity of the previous but this is excellent.
2019 Chablis 1er Mont de Milieu
Vines of 50-60 years of age. Also bottled in August. 10-15% wood in the elevage.
Narrow but with a deep and vibrant minerality at the base of the nose. More direct again – like the first Fourneaux – still with a touch of softness at the edges but energetic and even a little saline finishing. Lots of balanced concentration here. Holding a strong width of finishing flavour – agrume here. Excellent, delicious wine.
2019 Chablis 1er Vaillons
This and the Montmains have 80-year-old vines. On the border of Sechets in Epinottes and Minots. We taste based on mounting oak in the elevage – here 25% but none new. August bottling
Bright, wide, clean yellow citrus nose. Silky and concentrated across the palate with a nice line of finishing flavour. Composed, not hyper-energetic but completely delicious.
0.35 ha – the smallest of the premier cru surfaces here. High and south-facing look towards Fourchaume and Chablis, beyond. Also bottled in August. Again 25% wood but in this case new.
A fine depth of fruit here – super clarity too. Fuller a little more cushioned texture, no sign of the taste of oak. This has a great finish – currently excellent with the potential for more.
0.66 ha in Montmains but sitting on the border with Forêts. 80 year-old-vines, not yet bottled – 35 hl wooden tank with no interventions for 1 year. Now in a tank until Cyril thinks it’s time.
A great nose – vibrant agrume, almost some mandarin fruit in there. Energy, mouth-filling, never too much in any direction, quite saline. Great Montmains – I love. I ordered some!
2019 Chablis 1er Montée de Tonnerre
Elevage in 500-litre barrels – 6-7 months in the barrels then moved to tank – not yet bottled.
Aromatically a mini version of the last wine. Here I sense a little of the wood, but it’s almost gone. The salinity is strong in this one – concentrated at the core but still with a lightness of touch. That’s a lovely wine, slowly fading in the finish – I like it a lot.
All the following are contracts, it’s a blend of coopers for the barrels – nothing will be bottled much before March or April:
2019 Chablis Bougros
Another great and energetic nose. More concentration, mouth-filling, layered – waves of finishing flavour accented by salinity – that’s a really excellent grand cru – so tasty.
2019 Chablis Valmur
Old parcel, Grenouilles side.
Here is more mineral depth – so inviting! A frame of fine tannin surrounds just a little more mineral muscle than the last wine. A great and complex finish – I prefer this nose but, today, the flavour of the Bougros.
That’s super – there’s a little of that mandarin fruit in the citrus-agrume mix. Ooh – that’s good. Mouth-filling – but so open, mineral, slowly evolving flavour over the palate. That’s a top Preuses!
That’s a great nose too – there’s freshness and vibrantly mineral complexity. Mouth-filling – great purity – the merest suggestion of barrel (today). Direct finishing and oh-so-long – a great, great finish. Indeed there’s nothing at all missing from this Clos!
There is one response to “Cyril Gautheron – 2019”
Hi Bill, these are excellent wines. Will you be reviewing the Gauteron 2020s? Thanks!
Dear JK
You are right.
And yes, I was there last week – I need to recheck my notes for a case or two chez moi – before they are sold out!