Tasted in Chablis with Guénolé Breteaudeau & Amandine Marchive, 11 January 2023.
Domaine des Malandes
11 route d’Auxerre
89800 Chablis
Tel. +33 3 86 42 41 37
www.domainedesmalandes.com
More reports with Domaine Des Malandes
Amandine & Guénolé on 2022:
“We have the quantity and also the quality – we even had some VCI! The year started with a black frost and we thought of a similar result to 2021 but in the end, there were lots of grapes.”
Amandine & Guénolé on 2021:
“Only 30% of a normal harvest – which was worse here than in 2016. All the bottlings have been done, the last, the grand crus, were done in December. In just one bunch of grapes in 2021 I found all three types of rot! So we had to be very severe with removing the bourbe for elevage. Unsurprisingly we used a bit more oak in this vintage as we had less juice!”
The wines…
A good range of wines – sometimes excellent – and look out for some 2022 notes – in bottle – already!
All will be certified AB (organic) in the next (2022) vintage:
2021 Petit Chablis
2 sectors, Beines and La Chapelle de Vaupelteigne. On the plateau of Beines where there was a lot of snow – not a lot more than 1,000 bottles – normally there’s closer to 30k bottles ‘in a very good year’.
A super invitation – that’s lovely, airy and attractive. Round, supple, a little sweet. The finish is mineral and really really great!
2021 Chablis
The largest cuvée of the domaine. 15 hectares, three parcels in Prehy, another parcel near Montmains and Côte de Lechets. Practically all left bank
A nose with more breadth and concentration. Mouth-filling, fine minerality at the base again. A finishing width of, again, more mineral flavour. Less great finishing than the PC but a very good wine – and very persistent.
2021 Chablis Vieilles-Vignes Envers de Valmur
Right bank in the valley of Vaudesir. The vines planted by grandfather in 1967 – but due to their orientation classed as villages. Doing a lot of work here, ‘it’s almost like dentistry to save the vines from ESCA.’ Always with separate elevage, one part in barrel. This cuvée was previously called Tour du Roy – but now that house has been sold to someone else, so… This is the climat name.
A more focused nose, ripe and fresh – that’s very attractive again. Here’s still a mm or two of cushion but essentially a wine of fine texture and more floral accents to the flavour.
2021 Chablis 1er Côte de Léchet
Vines about 40 years old. ‘It’s very stony here, we prefer to preserve that with stainless steel – almost 1.4 hectares that are part worked by horse – it doesn’t like the steep part but is happy on the flat part at the top!’ Some oak here for the first time – one-third but only with 500-litre barrels
A more airy width of aroma. Extra width and intensity in the flavour too – easily noting the step-up to 1er cru here. That’s a lovely wine.
2021 Chablis 1er Vau de Vey
Very steep vineyard near Beines – it doesn’t have the sun the whole day so is harvested a little later. A mix of hand and machine harvesting. A single block and the biggest 1er of Malandes with 40-year-old vines – ‘It was hard with the young vines as they were a bit too productive and we lost plenty to ESCA – now they have settled down and produce a proper rendement – steep here with 1.5 metre spacing – needs a tractor driver without fear!’ 40% oak but none new. Largest volume 1er here – around 3 steep hectares of vines.
That’s got a lovely nose, more floral. Sweet, broad-flavoured. Then comes a bit more structure, slowly fading. Good wine.
2021 Chablis 1er Montmains
Old vines – planted by grandfather – a massale selection like the Tour du Roy, approaching 65 years old. 30% barrel. ‘Usually, a serious wine when young.’
A nose of direction and focus – that’s super. Broad, energetic, supple, even a suggestion of creaminess. I like the depth and concentration of this. A very tasty wine.
2021 Chablis 1er Fourchaume
From the heart of the historic Fourchaume, parcels from father and grandfather – also about 65 years-old. Lots of millerandes so hand-harvested, and always the first parcel harvested.
A broader nose, classically with a fruit that’s a bit more golden in style. Hmm, that’s got a nice shape and finely melting, mineral, flavours. I like – that’s a lovely wine.
2021 Chablis 1er Mont de Milieu
A small parcel since 2011– 0.25 ha – swapped some Vaudesir for this – but not the ownership! They simply work each other’s parcels! Always the first parcel to be harvested. It’s on high near the wood so doesn’t normally frost – though was decimated in 2016 and brought just 500-litres in 2021.
A more herby width with a fine depth to this nose. Extra width – a panorama – structure but melting in style. The best finish here with a width of floral-inflected, delicious flavour.
2021 Chablis Vaudesir
Hand harvested from the ‘coté lunaire, not solaire’, needs harvesting 3 or 4 days later. Directly opposite Le Moutonne, so cooler, and now worked by horse.
A more vertical nose today but with extra clarity – the best nose so far! Concentrated but alive – complex, energetic – beautifully structured, mineral wine – that’s a simply excellent grand cru.
2021 Chablis Les Clos
All by hand and with the same elevage as the Vaudesir. Also low yielding – only 20 hl/ha in this vintage.
Lots of freshness and energy here – the oak is visible today. Large in scale – less energetic delivery of flavour. Plenty of sweetness again – perhaps from the barrel – because of that I prefer the Vaudésir today.
Plus some 2022s that were bottled last week! – ‘A first bottling to assuage some of the demand:’
2022 Bourgogne Côte d’Auxerre
Fresh, broad clean and attractive. Good shape and attack – that’s an easy-drinking, delicious but very well-structured wine. Excellent!
2022 Domaine Petit Chablis
Now AB!
Higher-toned freshness. Direct and fresh – not quite austere but certainly more so than the previous wine. Lip-smacking, mouth-watering finish. Very moreish and modestly saline finishing!
2022 Chablis
Fresh, pure and a little floral. A vibrant width of modestly mineral and faintly lime-citrus flavours. Excellent Chablis.
2022 St.Bris
Bought grapes, vinified here. Always the same organically worked parcel. ‘I vinify this for drinking rather than keeping.’
Width of aroma with a little menthol style. In the mouth another wine of width and nice intensity – the mint-leaf style coming through very well – in the fish too. 4 wines of fine fresh style.