Tasted with Vincent Laroche in Fleys, 14 January 2021.
Domaine de la Meulière
18, route de Mont de Milieu
89800 Fleys
Tel: +33 3 86 42 13 56
www.chablis-meuliere.com
More reports for Domaine de la Meulière
Vincent on 2019:
“2019 was sunny – nice but hot – not unlike 2020. The wines are fruity but also with some minerality – the purists, the enthusiasts of Chablis, will find the core of Chablis in the wines. The date of the harvest certainly played a role. The volumes were lower than the maximum but we don’t reach this level – perhaps we were about 8% less – the losses that we saw in the vineyards were mainly from the drying of grapes on the vines. 2018 had a lot of early rain – in the spring for example – so overcame the dry and hot summer without much problem.”
The wines…
Some very good wines – it’s a couple of 2018s that took my eye though…
We tasted a couple of 2019s that were already bottled but the rest were 2018s – which are bottled unlike the 19s. The 2019 1ers will be done in about a month:
2019 Bourgogne Chardonnay
All chardonnay near the A6, with the same exposures as the Chablis, on Oxfordian limestone. This the first vintage from just over 2 ha of vines.
A small DIAM reduction. In the mouth too to start, but here’s a good volume of flavour and a little kiss of tannin at the extremes. Easy, and tasty in the finish.
2019 Petit Chablis
5 months in bottle – done mid-August.
Also a tight DIAM nose. In the mouth more energy and width – clearly more mineral but it’s also the vintage not just the place that’s talking. Really a nice width in the finish – citrus skin, a touch of salinity too.
2019 Chablis
They make 3 bottlings – but here they are done by sector – mainly Chichée, Béru and Fleys – all in the east of Chablis and all hand-harvested. Which comes first or last is by speed of vinification, taste or vintage – it really depends on the vintage. This is the Fleys in 2019.
That’s nicely open, a clarity of aroma with fine minerality – very inviting. A richness to the texture and depth of flavour but still energy and good flavour. There’s structure here but never hard or austere. Concentrated and also deliciously persistent finishing. Excellent Chablis
Vintage change:
2018 Chablis La Vigne au Songe
Selection Parcelaire, About 1 ha here. Les Serres à Fleys
Fresher, plenty of depth, some mineral. Wider, more textural, mobile – that’s a delicious wine – real depth. Very delicious.
2018 Chablis 1er Les Fourneaux
Vines about 25-year-old
Extra freshness – higher tones of energetic citrus and white flower. That’s got a fine width again, predominantly mineral, a touch of tannin framing the flavours, nicely vibrant finishing and growing wider and wider.
2018 Chablis 1er Vaucoupins
Sunny, south-east facing. ‘A cru which you can drink young or old.’
Here’s a nice freshness of aroma – yellow citrus. Direct, mineral, good energy wrapped with just a little richness of texture. Depth in the finish again, textural, a little saline and long…
2018 Chablis 1er Mont de Milieu
Here’s a fine citrus width – that’s not a large nose but it shows a certain elegance and purity. Deeply flavoured – a little direct – impressively finishing with a frame of salinity. Wide and long.
2018 Chablis 1er Montée de Tonnerre
A new wine here – I’m the first taste.
A compact nose but clean and inviting. Fuller than MdM, more layered, slightly sweeter – today the more attractive of the two.
Amphora – gres – the vinification and elevage in these jars.
That’s lovely – clearly mineral and finely lemon-citrus – beautiful, with attractive clarity. Lots of energy, deeply flavoured but with mineral freshness and citrus – very open and pure – that’s a great wine.
65 yo vines. Elevage in tronconic wooden tanks.
A deeper nose, more density of aroma. In the mouth here is freshness again, more density of flavour once more. Vibrant finishing this is also a great wine – definitely worth seeking out.
2017 Chablis 1er Mont de Millieu Les Gougeuys
Vines from 1957 in mdm with long stainless-steel elevage.
A vibrant nose – pure and deeply mineral at the same time. Wide – a panorama of flavour – deep, faintly reductive. The finish is vibrant and very wide – not to mention long. That’s a really excellent wine, great persistence too.
2018 Irancy
A small parcel – 0.4 ha – the first vintage – an exchange of parcels with a local vigneron. All pinot, manually harvested, destemmed. A mix of 228 and tank elevage but for 18 months.
The colour is relatively modest. A nose of stone-fruit depth and a higher pyrazine, almost floral note. This is lovely over the palate – depth of flavour, concentration too – almost a smoky coffee/mocha flavour in the middle – probably from the barrel. Very faintly tannic but small-grained and completely ripe. Only a faint dryness is noted at the end of the finish – but here is very tasty wine.