Tasted in Préhy with Clotilde & Arnaud Davenne, 06 January 2022.
Domaine Clotilde Davenne
3, rue de Chantemerle
89800 Préhy
Tel: +33 3 86 41 46 05
www.clotildedavenne.fr
More reports with Domaine Clotilde Davenne
Clotilde on 2020:
“2020 we didn’t have big yields – though more than in 21 when it was only one-third of a normal harvest. In 2020 it was the dryness that was to blame, we lost a lot of juice – particularly the reds – for us it’s only half a harvest… We started harvesting 20th August for the grapes destined for crémants.‘
The wines…
There is always a good range waiting for me chez Clotilde – plenty of simply outstanding ‘entry’ wines this year.
Except for when you specify screw-caps almost all the wines have a DIAM-style of closure. Clotilde has started using DIAM Mytik for their crémant.
80 yo vines from St.Bris from Les Rosiers
That’s such a perfumed nose. Hmm – so mineral, clean, pure – exciting. That’s is an uncommonly great aligoté – bravo! A small touch of tannin at the end of the tongue too.
2020 St.Bris
Vines from 1996 from the climat of Montpercy
Vibrant, minty nose. A little gas and a lot of direct style. Mineral, clean and then with a big wave of finishing flavour – again lots of mint leaf and not too much cat. That’s an absolutely lovely wine.
Vines of over 100-years-old from the climats of Loigny, Les Clous and Les Rosiers
Deeper – more concentrated – less overt mint – there’s some ripeness of fruit here too. Wider, silkier versus the more direct previous wine. A little more contemplative but still poised and balanced. Today I slightly prefer the extra energy of the first wine but this will be great!
2020 Bourgogne Blanc
Just behind the domaine in Prehy on Kimmerigian, a little more soil depth but probably should be classed as Chablis! Planted in 1992 and usually harvested near the end. Screw-cap
This has a tighter nose – what wouldn’t be after the Saint-Bris? Wide, mouth-watering wine. Depth of flavour with a touch of tannin texture. Long and mineral finishing a touch lactic today too. Give this one a little time…
2020 Bourgogne Côtes d’Auxerre
Two parcels of old vines – 70-years-old – since 2018 in the domaine.
A more open, fuller but still fresh nose, faintly herbed. Really a mouth-watering wine, faintly touched by greener aspects but at this level it’s an interesting extra complexity. This is tasty, attractive wine that’s properly structured and mouth-watering.
2020 Petit Chablis
1994 vines in Prehy in Les Temps Paradis
Good width but even better aromatic depth. Nice in the mouth, slowly adding a floral perfume in the mix – this is really excellent – pure, tasty wine with a proper shape. Excellent!
2020 Chablis
South facing vines in Courgis’ Vaudelune
A deeper nose with some greener citrus. A little green in the flavours but there’s nothing herbal here – just a fine open, mouth-filling, shape and airy, complex flavour. This is delicious – and long too.
Vines in the same location as the previous cuvée but here a minimum of 55-years-old
A little less green and a little more yellow-citrus. More direct, finely textured – becoming framed with a little tannin. Concentrated and still energetic – that’s more than excellent wine – bravo!
2020 Chablis 1er Vaucoupin
Bought from same producer each year. Plain-south-facing – a small parcel
Tight but a little direct in style and becoming more perfumed with air. Also direct in its mineral style – that’s got a fine extra level of flavour complexity after the previous wines, properly saline finishing too – that’s a very lovely, indeed excellent, premier cru.
2020 Chablis 1er Fourchaume
Also quite a compact nose – but also one that seems focused and direct. Extra energy, extra mouth-filling. I liked the sinuous style of the last but here is something different again. The finish is a super thing too – not a typically warm-fruited Fourechaume though yellow-citrus. Excellent wine again…
2020 Chablis 1er Montmains
39-year-old vines in Courgis, from the bottom of Montmains.
More open, certainly a much deeper nose. Larger scaled, more open and concentrated minerality. A slightly herbed complexity – attractively so. This a big wine to wait a little time for – give it 2-3 years – I finis it very impressive.
2020 Chablis Bougros
Young vines – just 20 – high up in Bougros…
It’s more in the middle registers but this is a finely, elegantly, perfumed wine. A certain sauvage impression here – density without richness of texture – rather energy and flavour complexity combined. It’s a broad and concentrated finish too – like the rest of the wine it’s not about the richness – it’s more like a 1er cru with ‘extra’ rather than a grand cru – but it’s definitely ‘extra’ – and tasty too!
2020 Chablis Blanchots
East facing and just below the woods, higher on the hill.
A more compact though seemingly also more concentrated nose. Broader, more concentrated, really mouth-watering – almost juicy – wine. So full-flavoured but never laboured – this holds a great finish too. It’s a fine grand cru.
Cremant Brut Extra
Clean, fresh and forward. Lots of mousse. There’s intensity here and no added sweetness. The finish is clean and moreish – yes, another glass please!
Cremant Brut Extra – Rosé
All pinot noir – also no dosage so extra brut…
A modest weight of aroma but it’s an attractive aroma all the same. Fuller, rounder, plenty of mousse again, slowly relaxing over the palate – incisive yet delicate. The finish is already delicious and broad – that’s really lovely.
Les Rouges:
2020 Bourgogne Côte d’Auxerre
Also from Les Rosiers in St.Bris
Very dark coloured. Hmm – this is direct and fresh with a certain peanut/pyrazine character but it’s more complex than that. Supple, growing in width – concentrated but not rich. If you are pyrazine insensitive this will be a super bottle, just faintly framed with a small tannin.
2020Irancy
There’s 10% cesar in this, from the climat of Les Rez
A much cleaner and broader nose – plenty of mineral aspects to contemplate here. Hmm – a little extra mouth-filling – the tannin of the last and slightly more forward – a hint of creamy oak complexity too in this very long finish. Long and tasty – but let the oak fade a little…
2020 Irancy Paradis
Also with 10% cesar
The merest accent of pyrazine here – more attractive is the larger floral component – they are fine and complex in combination. Supple, wide, more composed – more concentrated too. The dark fruit not quite dried but there’s a little cranberry-esque impression. Open and mobile over the palate finishing with a modest tannin. This will be fine – give it 2-5 years…