Tasted in Chablis with Valérie Beaufumé, 30 January 2024.
Domaine Beaufumé
5 rue des Vignes
89800 Lignorelles
Tel: +33 3 86 47 56 32
www.chablis-beaufume.com
More reports with Domaine Beaufumé
Valérie on 2023:
“It was complicated. I think probably because the volumes were high. We experienced a strong attack of oïdium – we know which parcels are always susceptible to oïdium and sure enough it came. 2023 resembles 2018, except that not everywhere had a big yield in 2018, but everywhere did in 2023 – it’s nature, we also have vintages with plenty of grapes but no juice – like 2019. But we got a little VCI as even our 100-year-old vines delivered 60 hl/ha. Morally, I’d prefer to produce less than the average than more than the average – it gives me a bad feeling but it’s what nature gave us. During our fermentations we acidified – everything – I prefer to chaptalise than acidify but that’s was 2023…”
Valérie on 2022:
“It was a big change vs 2023 – easy even, as there were no maladies. I’m very happy with the vintage. Of course, there was a period of worry about frost but the vines started growing again immediately the cold weather departed. The year – and the harvest – was a warm one. We harvested in the early hours to bring in the coolest possible grapes – finishing at the end of the morning – it’s the first time I ever saw the bourbe fermenting – I’ve never seen that before. So a year of very few treatments, and of clean grapes – lovely. Only the harvest was difficult due to the heat, but even in the cuverie the wines gave us no problems.”
The wines…
Two simply excellent, delicious wines – as is normal here. I can’t explain how the PC wine showed in my blind tasting this year.
This remains a domaine that still sells much of its production in bulk – but they now commercialise 25k bottles themselves and will even have a new cuvée of Chablis with a little wood elevage in 2023. These were bottled:
2022 Petit Chablis
From Chemin de Chablis just out of the village in front of the domaine. Despite some vines from 1923, the first vintage that they bottled to commercialise themselves was 2018. Right now all the 22s have been sold. A Trescasses synthetic seal for this.
The blind wine in my big PC tasting was quite minty but not the wines on either side – but here is the usual floral style that I’m accustomed to from this address. Mobile, fresh – cool fruited and with pretty energy – just a delicious wine – broad and juicy – it’s a completely delicious wine.
2022 Chablis
A little more incisive – again with an attractive floral top note. More direct, almost linear – beautifully silky – I love this wine. Mouth-watering, almost juicy and finishing with a modest width that has an accent of salinity. Fine length – simply excellent Chablis in 2022…