Tasted in Préhy with Vivien Gabrielle & Laurent Ternynck, pictured also with Marie-Noëlle Ternynck, 23 January 2023.
Domaine de Mauperthuis
3, Grande rue de Chablis
89800 Préhy
Tel: +33 3 86 41 42 70
www.chablismarronniers.com/
More reports for Domaines Marronniers, Maupertuis, Gabrielle & Fontaine Goby
In the future, it’s going to become a long visit to taste at this address. In addition to the two legal entities that we’ve come to know (Marronniers & Maupertuis), we additionally have Domaines Gabrielle and Fontaine Goby. Maupertuis makes wines, mainly from contracts. Marronniers has 20 hectares of vines and Fontaine Goby has 12 – this latter label is almost exclusively distributed in, and around, Paris to higher-end restaurants. Domaine Gabrielle consists of the home vines of Vivian Gabrielle who has been the winemaker here since 2020.
Laurent on the last vintages:
“Yes, 2022 was superb, a year with degrees that were higher than normal – 14.5° for the reds but still with a good balance in the whites. With some of the 2022s we will have some slightly early first bottlings – it’s sad but we need some wine. In 2021 our Chablis and Petit Chablis brought a bit better yields than in 2016 – but it was practically zero in 2016! The storm was in Irancy too but mildew was the bigger problem. A quarter of the domaine is now Bourgognes on the other side of Bienes – both here and also in Saint-Bris there wasn’t much – only 20% of normal. In 2021 there’s not much Irancy either – just a bit more than in 2016.”
The wines…
If you have the same sensitivities as me, it’s hard to look past some of the pyrazines here – the 2020 reds – but if you are as sensitive as the majority of people, there are great wines to be found here!
DIAM for some of the base wines, PC and Chablis, the rest are cork.
2021 Maupertuis, Bourgogne Côtes d’Auxerre
Vines in the area of Lignorelles – average age 55 – deeper soils with some clay here. All tank elevage.
A large-scale nose, some riper citrus notes here. Supple, but lovely intensity. Juicy finishing with attractive, modest bitters – That’s excellent!
2021 Maupertuis, Bourgogne Chardonnay Grand Reserve
Booth of the fermentations done in barrel – but older barrels – another soil with clay but there’s more limestone here.
A broad, large-scale nose – plenty of barrel but with some floral perfume too. Fine shape and energy – the barrel is strong but so is the line of mouth-watering citrus. Despite the weight of the the oak flavours this is very, very tasty wine – I’d be waiting 3+ years for this oak flavour to fade…
A 5-hectare parcel called Temps Perdu in the plateau of Préhy. Youngest plantation of the domaine – about 15 years old – behind the buildings of JM Brocard..
Less depth but this nose still has fine width – a hint of extra minerality in these citrus aromas too. Vibrant, faint CO2 – but super energy – thirst-quenching wine that you will drink far too quickly – bravo!
2022 Marronniers, Chablis Beltins
An early bottling. A single cuvée that was ready first rather than the assembly of the domaine’s parcels between Préhy and Courgis – one of the last parcels harvested.
Ultra forward, very fruity but no excess of ripeness. More overt concentration, riper citrus but not exotic. Long and full – I’d be waiting 12 months for this to become more ‘Chablis’ and a bit less ‘fruit’ – still, it’s a big, tasty wine.
2021 Ternynck, Chablis 1er Montée de Tonnerre
Contract from From Brechins in the high part of MdT – 600-litre large-format barrels and for both ferments, bottled just before the end of the year so about 14 months of elevage.
A slightly rounder nose, so not so incisive but on the other hand, this is nicely floral perfumed. Great shape – I love this structure and there’s an almost chiselled style to this – good clarity and then finishing broad and holding the interest.
2021 Ternynck, Chablis Valmur
On the limit with Les Clos, high up. Elevage in a 600-litre barrel of about 5 years old. In tank since the last harvest – ‘we are not yet pressed to bottle.’
Round, today I sense the barrel more here than the last. Broad and vibrant – there’s depth to this concentration – balanced by the energy and minerality of this wine – with an extra perfume too. Keep this a little while. There’s extra weight and salinity in this finish.
2021 Gabrielle, Petit Chablis Amphora
Vines from the plateau of Beines in the direction of La Chapelle de Vaupelteigne – young vines. Nature. ‘Vin de Copains!’
Deep, full, aromatic – not many similarities with PC – but these aromas are inviting. Super in the mouth – round, forward, mineral and floral – that’s really lovely. A big finish – there’s intensity here and a moreish finishing flavour. Another wine that you might drink rather quickly – it’s excellent for what it is.
Les Reds:
Vines between the Chablis and the Côte d’Auxerre appellations. Not yet bottled, vines about 20-25 years old. Tank elevage and fermentations with some cooling to start.
Some ripe, dark-red-shaded fruit but nothing to excess. Lovely berry flavour, slightly mineral, fluid in style – not a wine of extra concentration – simply ‘ênough’ – and completely delicious too – bravo!
2021 Maupertuis, Bourgogne Pinot Noir Grand Reserve
All barrel elevage like the Chardonnay but maybe a little less wood influence. Lots of frost and then some machine harvesting here.
Good colour for the vintage. Broad – lots of pine needle pyrazine. Nice shape energy and mouthwatering style in the mouth. Some finishing creaminess from the barrel – for the insensitive that’s a success for 21!
The 2021 Irancys haven’t been bottled yet, hence the 2020s are presented, all old vines and hand harvested:
2020 Maupertuis, Irancy
Not as strong as the previous 21 but there’s still some pyrazine here. Larger scale and more intense and concentrated, some licorice in the juicy finish.
Deeper, cool, a bit more mineral and energetic – still some pyrazine – but more perfumed – gentian! Hmm, that’s beautifully textured and fluid despite impressive concentration. The barrel is visible only towards the finish and it will fade. A great wine without pyrazines – and of course if you are insensitive – simply a great wine!
2020 Maupertuis, Irancy Vaupessiot
Second vintage that this has been vinified apart.
A much wider panorama of aroma – still some pyrazine ‘complexity.’ Big in the mouth – more energetic more structural but only faintly with extra tannin – no grain. Broad and almost mineral in the finish – a wine of extra power – I have a preference for the Mazelots today, but this is simply excellent.
83 year old vines with plenty of César in this blend.
Broader more airy, still some power to these aromas – only the faintest of pyrazine here, a hint of florals too. The power of the last, some of the structure too but with the fluid energy of the Mazelots to balance this power and structure. Again, bravo!
Lots of skin contact and vin nature too.
Opaque wine. The aromas a little more vegetal but not of pyrazine. Hmm, silky, broad, supple – that’s, without doubt, the best césar that I have ever tasted. Modestly tannic in the finish but not drying – bravo!