Tasted in Beines with Françoise Michaut – mother of Adrien, wife of Bernard, 11 January 2023.
Domaine de La Motte
41 rue du Ruisseau
89800 Beine
Tel: + 33 3 86 42 49 61
www.chablis-michaut.fr
More reports with Domaine de la Motte
Françoise on 2022:
“Yes! We had quantity and also quality – and I think it’s a vintage that’s going to be very easy to sell – they look really good.”
Françoise on 2021:
“We did really well – we had over 45 hl/ha – we are not sure of the secret but Adrien spends more time in his vines than in the cuverie that’s for sure but yes, we appreciate that we are one of the very few with such a quantity. All the vines with aspersion were not bad, Vau-Lignau was a good surprise, the Beauroy a little less – the current of air was really unusual because things that don’t normally frost did… It was still a big work with the candles – we did stock the candles ahead of time and if there’d been no frost we’d have enough for 10 years!”
The wines…
Another top performance from this domaine – wines that are just so consistent, absorbing and drinkable – so well done!
All DIAM5 since 2013 with some other DIAM-style closures in 2019 – ‘we’re not going back!’ The wines all have cuvée names on the back labels but not the main labels – it’s the first time that I noted it – so I include in the description this year. We also have new labels – white for the Petit Chablis and the Chablis and blue for all the others:
Open, airy, slightly golden fruit. Hmm- a slight warmth but also a fluidity of style that’s become a mark of this domaine in the last few years. Purity and deliciousness – certainly not a wine of density in this vintage – a finely wrought wine that’s absolutely top!
2021 Chablis Le Guilleret
Aromatically a bit more depth and energy – the same admirable clarity of aroma. Extra mouth-filling, more juicy – still not a wine of concentration but there’s a little more intensity to back up these flavours. Again and absolutely delicious wine – it’s simply excellent – the finish with a little golden-style fruit again – like last year.
A new cuvée:
2021 Chablis Le Jardin du Curé
Just one parcel. A Chablis with 20% of the elevage in barrel – but large format – 600-litres.
Less width but more depth and a vibration to this aromatic, mineral, energy. The impression of a bit more volume and also an extra roundness – the texture is super and the wine shows – shape apart – no obvious signs of the oak. That’s another delicious wine.
40-60-year-old vines, some of the oldest vines today in Beine. Vines from grandparents. Here with some (25%) barrel and demi-muids for elevage.
The return of the width – fine and mineral with some citrus purity too. More incisive, there’s an extra structure that’s visible but modest compared to some – less modest is the extra dimension of floral flavour that this wine has – that’s quite special. The finish is broad and mineral. That’s a great villages.
2021 Chablis 1er Vau Ligneau
Like the vv this has 25% elevage in barrel – but 600-litre barrels.
More vertical aromas again but here is much depth of aroma. Aha – width and intensity – the minerality comes as a step up too. A great and intense finish – I’d drink any of the previous wines today but this I’d keep for 2-5 years – if fact the balance is such that it will just keep getting better – simply excellent.
2021 Chablis 1er Beauroy
Here with 40% large barrel elevage.
Calmer, more complex, still fresh and inviting. Here is a wine that has more in every direction – volume, structure, a very faint chalky tannin, and eventually a little floral extra too. It’s a little rounder from the barrel elevage but this will bring so much pleasure in 5+ years – it’s damn fine now! Excellent wine!