Tasted in Lignorelles with Charles Hamelin & his Kelpie, 26 January 2023.
Domaine Hamelin
6, route de Bleigny
89800 Lignorelles
Tel: +33 3 86 47 54 60
www.domaine-hamelin.fr
“It’s been a family estate for 7 generations and I’m still working with my father. We farm 37 hectares and have always been here in Lignorelles – some of the vines come from my great-great grandfather – they have been in the family for more than 100 years. We have 10 hectares in Petit Chablis and another 20 in Chablis – some Vau Ligneau and Beauroy too. Then there’s a little Bourgogne Rouge and Crémant – and for the crémant, we do everything ourselves – the riddling too! About 75% is exported – Japan, UK and Canada are our major markets – all commercialised from here – there are no bulk sales.”
Charles on 2022:
I think all Chablis winemakers are happy with 2022 because we lost 60% in 21 – but I think it a great vintage and it should be easy to drink young – I may start bottling some Petit Chablis in March/April – as I need to sell some wine! But the wine is staying on its fine lees for now.
Charles on 2021:
“In 2021 the frost was terrible and the candles had limited use as it was a winter frost – like in 2017. We had warm then cold – the climate was all or nothing in March-April 2021. In 2019, 2020 & 2022 it easy to make a good wine – 2021 needed more. I did a little batonnage – and it’s important to taste the lees – if it’s not good it’s not for batonnage – you have the terroir in the lees – the wine takes the memory of the lees! The wines were hard to taste around the time of the malos – they needed time in tank – I prefer to wait for the wines though now they have all been bottled – except for our Beauroy – and all bottled with DIAM. I started 10 years ago with DIAM for the first two wines and 5 years later with the 1ers too – no more deviations.”
The wines…
A first visit – there were some very classy, indeed great, wines!
2021 Petit Chablis
Only with tank elevage – all the malo completed – ‘all the vines are around Lignorelles there’s some clay here and the exposure to the sun is very good here.’
Hmm – nicely vibrant yellow citrus – not fully open but still there’s a nice energy. Supple, clean & mineral but balanced towards a slightly ripe yellow citrus – hmm – that’s a very comfortable, tasty finish – very moreish here – lovely! A slightly chalky texture in the end of this finish. Yum!
2021 Chablis
Bottled only about 1 week ago. First time tasted since then – vines from Lignorelles and Beines – vines from 1970s and 1980s.
Some extra freshness – a vibration of minerality here – slightly, and attractively, reductive. Wider, more saline, lots of energy – always changing, mouth-watering but with a more obvious chalky texture. Super again.
70-year-old vines in this case – a vineyard that was from the great–grandfather. This wine has some 500-litre barrel elevage, including a little that was new – but only 10% barrels and only 3 months in the barrels too.
Hmm – that’s a lovely nose – no trace of the barrel – a width of yellow citrus aromas – it’s incisive and fresh and saline – proper aromas of the sea – and Chablis! Extra vibrant, pure and mineral – much more direct and cool – I love this shape/structure. Really wide and saline – simply excellent villages – maybe even better than that!
2021 Chablis 1er Vauligneau
‘A closed valley where we have something of a special micro-climate – a blend of Kimmerigian and Portlandian with some white clay. I think the elegance allows someone who doesn’t know Chablis to enjoy from the start.’
That’s fine – there’s a nice, pure, citrus complexity here. Incisive, straight – direct wine – beautifully bubbling with mineral energy – there’s still structure here – perhaps not the most elegant wine of Charles’ description but a super wine with a little extra finishing roundness – it’s delicious too!
From the Côte de Savant – planted in 85 and 87 – a tank sample – ‘still with it’s gas’ – maybe to bottle in 1-2 months. ‘It’s a wine with a lot of power and character – I like to wait to bottle – it’s my favourite wine with cheese! I try to preserve the life in the wine – not just make a generic wine – I want to keep the sensation!’
Hmm – there’s some energy here – the nose is so very attractive. Ultra clean, pure and mineral – a cool style to this, very modestly, almost nobly reductive, so vibrant and like many here slightly chalky in the finish. Narrowing in the finish, remaining clean and moreishly attractive. I’d give this a couple of years in the cellar but that’s a great Beauroy.