Tasted with Didier Picq in Chichée, 12 January 2021.
Domaine Gilbert Picq et Fils
3 route de Chablis
89800 Chichée
Tel: +33 3 86 42 18 30
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Didier on 2019:
“Not the volume of 2018, fortunately. But it was still a good harvest here – though 27/hl/ha average. 14 Sept starting our harvest – the flowering was fine – about 1 week later than the chardonnay of the Côte d’Or. We lacked water in this vintage, not much malic but still a good pH, lots of dried berries. We didn’t suffer from the frost, and despite following a high volume vintage we still had quite a regular yield though about ¾ of the usual volume – the maturity came very quickly and in some places we had to be very fast to avoid 14° but with our small structure we can be fast and flexible. I think the balance of the wines is something super in 2019. Unlike 2018, we had no problems with slower fermentation – in 3-4 months everything was done. I find the wines a bit like 2015 but with more tension.”
The wines…
Last year I said wow – despite the vintage – this year again wow – with a bit more help from the vintage – many covetable wines! ‘I’m very happy with them,’ says Didier – me too.
All the wines are sealed with cork, but apart from a few early bottlings, most of the wines remain in tank, for now:
2019 Chablis
First bottling done just before the harvest – maybe there will be 4 bottlings.
Nice depth a roundness to the nose but still with a fizz of energy. A little richness of texture but also full of energy and quite mouth-filling. A floral middle and finish – lovely and with tons of dimension in the finish – refreshing, moreish wine!
2019 Chablis Vidécorse
Same soil as Vaucoupin, usually lots of millerandes. This from right bank.
Ooh – that’s a great nose – vibrant. More structural, wider wine – not austere but certainly more structure. More purity to this flavour today – a great finish. Practically bravo!
From vines of 60 years-old from 3 parcels – represents almost 1 hectare, more right bank. Only 26 hl/ha…
That’s a frankly super agrume nose – ripe but it’s agrume so it’s fresh – great! In the mouth too, direct, classic profound without fat – just a little richness of texture and zesty in the finish. Great wine!
Same soil as the first wine but with a small change in the orientation. In bottle
Just like the last with just a little less density and more depth. This hes bit more flavour density and still lots of structure – here you should wait – but the mouth-watering finish is deliciously complex and long. That will be another great wine – but wait 3 years.
All the following wines sampled from tank:
Probably a May or June bottling.
Such a vibrant nose, deep with fresh minerality – yes! More direct energy, wine that drives you forward. Stony and citrus in small but persistent finishing waves. At the very end – contemplative – but I’m only thinking about how much place I have to store these bottles!
Really a little extra saline kick to this wine – you can imagine someone squeezing the lemon juice over the oysters – there’s even a late-arriving floral component – orange blossom. Wider, mineral, but almost zero austerity. A little phenolic texture and slow mouth-watering arrival of fine finishing complexity. That’s a great finish.
And to finish:
Nice colour, not much more than that of a 2019. Ooh, that’s alive, that’s ready, that’s oh-so-complex! Starting to show a little creaminess, but not yet the white chocolate – okay, maybe – or lanolin of aged chardonnay. Ooh, that’s so wide, so vibrant, a touch of energetic, citrus-infused cream. Great texture – this was quite sunny and rich to start with says Didier. Great wine!