Tasted with Stéphanie Michelet in Lignorelles, 26 January 2023.
Domaine Courtault-Michelet
1 route de Montfort
89800 Lignorelles
Tel: +33 3 86 47 50 59
www.chablis-courtault.com
More reports with Domaine Courtault-Michelet
As mentioned last year, following the retirement of Stépahnie’s father, Jean-Claude, the domaine is now officially Courtault-Michelet with a single label. Where there were doubles – wines under the two old labels – they will keep both, one taking a cuvée name.
Stéphanie on 2022:
“I think they are probably good wines to bottle early – and I think we will do a little in March – though it’s obviously a shame to do so. The volume was correct, a couple of areas – all in the Chablis – had a little VCI but mainly not. We weren’t impacted by the frost as we had pruned very late but there was a lot of dryness in the vintage so we’re happy with the volume. I think that anyway the vines were ready to produce after the frost of 21 – we had a lot of grapes but not very big ones. It was hot in Epineuil but we didn’t have the dried grapes that we saw in 2020 – they are young vines here.”
Stéphanie on 2021:
“The ‘reference’ for frost here, if we can use this word, is 1991 but most domaines with enough memory think that they lost more in 2021. We lost 70% in 2021 – it’s fair to call it a catastrophe! 5 hl/ha in the Petit Chablis from 16 ha, it was the snow that did the most damage – overall it was about a third of a normal volume. The sum of all the difficulties did make it hard in places to prune for 2022 – there were baguettes that just never recovered from the frost – all the growth was in the middle of the vine – some of them looked like Beaujolais ‘goblets.’ Harvesting was from about 20-22 September not because it was a strong maturity but because the grapes were starting to head in a poor direction – after frost, cold, rain, mildew – but the wines were surprisingly balanced with good acidities. We lacked some wine in 2020 so there was a little pressure to bottle early but I thought the wines needed to nourish themselves in tank for a time. Sometimes it’s frustrating that I can’t do even longer elevage – maybe that’s a new project – we just don’t have the space.”
The wines…
‘A catastrophe’ for volume – but these were the best quality wines – and with consistency – that I ever tasted from this domaine – bravo – a recompense for all the hard work in 2021!
Now all is DIAM, particularly they appreciate this seal in the warmer years as they feel it holds more freshness…:”
2021 Petit Chablis
Mainly from Lignorelles, average 20-year-old vines.
Broad, fresh, fine energy with lots of attractive citrus. Mouthfilling, full of energy, a little salinity and tons of tasty, citrus, energy. Long and a wine you may drink too quickly – its simple but so very good!
2021 Petit Chablis Sous le Vent
Vinified exactly the same. This from the vines in Beine between Vau Ligneau and Vau de Vey where they have the windmills – hence the name – it’s colder, with more limestone here. An assemblage of parcels.
A riper core but is also accented with more salinity. More lime-citrus intensity – riper citrus – supple and silky. Hmm – this is my favourite of these too – it’s longer too.
A blend of Lignorelles and Beines – 30-35 year-old vines. Usually more fruit from Lignorelles, structure and minerality comes more from Beines. Bottled July
Starting direct and slowly widening over the palate – a little floral extra here. Ooh – clean, mobile, fine energy – growing with an ever bigger, complex, citrus width – super finishing complexity – ooh that’s more than excellent – that’s bravo villages – quite the step up from the PCs…
2021 Chablis Vieilles Vignes La Croix St.Augustin
70% old vines – some dating from 1947 – the cross close to Villy – there’s clay here but below quite draining limestone. The rest over 60 years old in Lignorelles – There’s about 10% barrel used here but none is new – I didn’t spot it…
Broader, easier yellow-citrus nose – very open and inviting. This sits very finely in the mouth – good volume, juicily mouth-watering – then a finish with a lovely intensity. A much more approachable Chablis today and it’s deliciously excellent!
“1ers are all bought as must – it’s hard to buy grapes… but these are quite long-term purchases from the same producers.” Mont de Milieu uses only tank elevage – this year the Fourchaume and the Beauroy has a little barrel in the mix.”
Bought from same producer since 2008. All tank elevage on the fine lees.
Here there’s an extra depth and also width to this depth – again a yellow citrus, composed rather than energetic but slowly a very attractive floral perfume rises from the glass. Hmm, incisive but with proper concentration below, beautifully shaped with a hint of zestiness to the texture – almost chalky in the finishing flavours – I think this may be the best example that I’ve ever tasted here – really impressed – bravo!
2021 Chablis 1er Beauroy
A very small cuvée here this year – same supplier as for the Fourchaume.
Here’s a little oak framing the sweeter aromas. Nice attack and a direct line of fine flavour – the oak is present but give it 2 years in your cellar and you’re hardly likely to notice. The finish is lovely, still a hint of barrel but it’s delicious!
A small cuvée again so like the Beauroy with barrel elevage – 350-litre barrels
Another direct nose – here more golden citrus – so often the case with Fourchaume – very attractively perfumed despite a small frame of barrel notes. More incisive – beautifully mineral – growing both intensity and salinity. That’s another great wine here in 2021 – again wait a couple of years for the barrel to fade but this is just a super bottle.
2021 Chablis Valmur
All barrel but large format. The same contract since 2013.
Fuller, an oak note that’s more forward than in the last two wines. The perfume growing quickly with aeration. Hmm – now that’s beautiful over the palate – despite the obvious concentration of this wine there’s a fine, mouth-watering, fluidity here – with a tidal-wave of finishing energy and salinity- high and wide. Simply excellent grand cru – it would never be a shame to drink this – like the last 1ers give it a couple of year to eat its wood. Lovely!
Le Red!
2021 Bourgogne Epineuil Côte de Grisey
A young plantation – this the 4th vintage – 1.36 ha – “When my father bought the plot it was already planted with trees; he couldn’t plant vines because he couldn’t obtain any plantation rights (droits de plantation). 20 years ago, rules to obtain some rights took into consideration the age of the person, the surface of the domain etcetera … It was possible to plant once I arrived to work on the domain. As a young winemaker, I could obtain some rights.” Still in tank, unfiltered, to be bottled in March
There’s still plenty of colour for a 21 – 80% loss estimated here after the frost in 21 but by the time that they harvested they actually lost only 60%! It’s a year in barrel followed by 6 months in tank for this cuvée. They prefer a year in bottle before drinking too.
Ooh – what a lovely perfume – very pretty red fruit – lovely. Mouth-filling energy – aided by a little gas. Structural, the tannin is present, slightly drying but without grain. That’s clean, delicious and with a proper character – its more than excellent for the vintage.