Tasted in Puligny-Montrachet with Jacqueline and Matthieu Collardot, 10 February 2023.
Domaine Thomas-Collardot
4 Rue de Poiseul
21190 Puligny-Montrachet
Tel: +33 6 23 76 92 51
More reports with Domaine Thomas-Collardot
Jacqueline & Matthieu on 2021:
“2021 was a bit of a catastrophe for the volume – 50% less for the 1ers, 30% less for the villages – it wasn’t just the frost, there was oïdium too. Half a harvest in total. The oïdium came very late – the beginning of September. Given all that, there will be no export of some wines, those that have only 1 barrel…”
The wines:
A very fine range – though showing their suits of oak more in this vintage – because of that I would be waiting, generally, at least 2 years to drink them but the quality is clearly excellent.
Despite the low volumes of 2021, they have still made all their cuvées – but they are very small – it’s because of this that they are exporting no 1ers from 2021. Bottling in March, in the main.
“Corks from Trescases and to-date, we’ve no returns and, in the end, we like cork – it’s something that’s alive!”
2021 Bourgogne Aligoté
Orches – 1992 vines converting to bio – a contract.
Some roundness of barrel – a smoky 350-litre François Frères – but it won’t take long to absorb that. A roundness of aroma. Hmm. Nicely shaped – structure without hardness and finishing with a fine saline tang. Yum!
2021 Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune Blanc
A more direct, still wide nose – nicely shaped. Incisive and growing in intensity – the same size barrel but in this case, it’s harder to see. A lovely wine with super texture – Simply an excellent Bourgogne!
Now the domaine wines:
Only the first wine was bottled:
2021 Bourgogne Côte d’Or Plante des Champs
Bottled 1 day. The young vines with low yields, here was previously planted with 1930’s aligoté…
A tiny vibration of reduction but this is a super nose. Vibrant, mineral and saline – there’s some oak here again but more spiced than the smoky style of the aligoté. You can see a little oak in the finish but this is super – wait 6 months for the oak to fade. Simply an excellent Bourgogne – potentially better than that!
2021 Bourgogne Côte d’Or Chardonnay Petit Poiriers
All from the commune of Puligny.
Much broader nose – some riper fruit energy. Direct, cool, a wine with tension – like the others showing a little oak today. The middle and finishing flavours wash beautifully over the palate – super wine – and super long too.
2021 Puligny-Montrachet Les Houlières
Direction Chassagne, made from 35-year-old vines.
Extra breadth and a finely-grained complexity – a little oak showing again. Incisive, proper tension – growing in energy – a dynamic wine – a super wine. As the others, give this wine a little time to eat the last of its oak – but an excellent villages due to the combination of fine silky width, almost a little fluidity – but tension too – great length for the label.
2021 Puligny-Montrachet Au Paupillot
Always plenty of water on the soil here as there are sources in the vines above. On the bottom road to Meursault, planted in 1974
Narrower but fuller in the higher tones – again with a subtle smokiness but more vibrant fruit here. Incisive again – more direct and still silky – super wine again – and with fine typicité – tension!
Planted in 1962, 15 years older than the last, always small concentrated grapes, north-south planted vs East-West of the last.
All new oak for this one and whilst the effect is visible it’s not particularly more marked. Extra width and super intensity over the palate. A wine of clarity and purity of flavour with just a hint of generosity. The most intense finishing – ooh that’s super – I’d be tempted to wait 2 years – a top wine.
2021 Puligny-Montrachet Rue au Vaches
The second year for this cuvée – before they sold the grapes. ‘We’re happy to have largely moved to the larger format barrels for elevage – 350s – of course, we still have some 228s – but it’s the volume that controlled that in 2021.’
More floral top notes for this one. A little generosity again – the fruit incisive and more overtly agrume style. Broad and holding very, very well – that’s another simply delicious wine.
2021 Puligny-Montrachet Les Nosroyes
Again a wine with some floral perfume to add to the ripe citrus fruit. Broad, the structure, the architecture is more visible. Sweetness and a faint barrel in the middle – I like the freshness and would wait for the generosity to fade/tighten a little — it’s worth waiting 2 years again!
2 parcels, the younger 35 years old, the other planted between 1960-62
A breadth of aroma again, vibrant, some wood but attractive – still for waiting. The coolest, most direct and chiselled wine of all – growing wider at the end. Super mouth-watering and juicy despite the barrel – keep this great wine for 2-3 years – bravo!
All the villages and both 1ers assembled – one barrel worth, 150 magnums…
A more airy start to this nose – the first wine where the fruit bosses the barrel – you hardly note any oak. Wide, structured and energetic – that’s a delicious and dynamic wine – which I’d already be tempted to drink – it’s already excellent and potentially may become a great one!
2021 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Hammeau de Blagny
The vines just above Puligny 1er Truffière.
A little more direct, the barrel practically absent and faintly perfumed. Mineral, good intensity – and it’s an intensity that keeps growing too. The finish is full and impressive – you sense directly the jump to 1er cru. That’s a wonderful wine – simply excellent.
South part in Au Chaniots (noted on the label) next to En la Richarde, there’s plenty of soil here. ‘Compared to some in 2021 we did not too badly for yields in our parcel.
Narrower but perfumed. Hmm – there’s an extra fluidity, more modestly saline impression – a wine that plays over the palate – the shape and structure suggest waiting a little while – but here is a potentially great 1er. Keep 3 years!
2021 Côteaux Bourgiugnone Le Pierreaux (Rouge)
Gamay-Pinot 30-70, all the stems, a short cool maceration and very little pigeage. Not yet bottled. ‘I pushed a little at the end of the fermentation to help the colour but it’s all with the stems – 30% gamay.’
A slightly musky roundness of florals – plenty of roses – it’s a very attractive, cushioned, invitation. Sitting beautifully on the palate, cushioned, red, delicious, not for waiting – simply super perfume. Too good – vin dangereux!
And to finish:
A joyous, forward and inviting nose of crunchy fruit. Direct and energetic – really mouth-watering, wide and mineral finishing. Yes!
And for the road:
2020 Puligny-Montrachet Les Houlières
Direction Chassagne, made from 35-year-old vines. This and the following were bottled in February 2022.
A compact but fresh nose. Hmm – there’s some muscle here – the wine is discrete but with quite some power – very mineral in style but it’s reluctant to open – long finishing and fine texture.
2020 Puligny-Montrachet Rue au Vaches
The first year for this cuvée – before they sold the grapes.
Here the wine’s a bit more open. Fresher more mobile energy, more intensity and even some salinity – more floral in the finishing flavour – that’s a beauty!