Tasted in Maligny with Jean-Paul Durup – pictured right in Homme Mort – 25 January 2024.
Domaine Jean Durup et fils
4 Grande Rue
89800 Maligny
Tel: +33 3 86 47 44 49
www.domainesdurup.com
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More reports with Domaine Jean Durup
Jean-Paul Durup on 2022 & 2023:
“The market is really not bad right now, we had a super vintage in 2023 – everybody knows – but for instance we have 29 hecatres of Petit Chablis but the 2022 is already all gone. 2022 was a vintage that was quite easy in the vines – except for a little frost – but the amount of grapes at flowering was still very good. There were a few storms, occasionally with some hail – but not a lot – the most important meteorological aspect of the season was the dryness of the vintage – we had some decent amount of rain but you could say that it came a little late and this side of Chablis saw less rain then other parts. I’m not crying, we still have 50 hl/ha! We started harvesting 3rd September in 2003 but 2022, after 2020, was the second time we have started to harvest in August. We started nearly 2 weeks later in 2023 which was more balanced from a meteorological perspective. The 22s may not be for super-long aging but the wines are delicious from the start.”
The wines…
That’s easily the best and most consistent tasting I have had at this producer – so many excellent wines this year – some are great too. And whilst I was a little disappointed to be, already, tasting some bottled 2023s, they tasted excellently and of Chablis too – this time next year they could be very fine!
All these wines see only tank elevage – and all the wines are bottled – we start with a bunch of already bottled 2023s!!
2023 Petit Chablis
Seven different communes – the largest ‘independent’ owner in PC with around 30 hectares. Largely above Blanchots and above Maligny and above Troisemes. This already in bottle – some Chablis too but none of the 1ers… This bottled last week
A round nose – lots of yellow fruit – certainly very attractive. Supple, good scale, plenty of freshness – ‘paradoxal the differences in the meteo but the wines are very similar to taste.’ Very tasty wine
2023 Chablis
130 ha – 11 communes.
Very similar yellow fruit but here there’s more depth. Extra width too – more obviously juicy freshness and just a hint of citrus butters to keep the energy and intensity going. Finishing nice and clean – a lovely villages.
2023 Chablis La Vigne de la Reine
All from Maligny – Vallée Mignotte about 3.5 Hectares – ‘less typical Chablis, more elegant and floral’
This has a width of higher tones – floral together with freshness. Hmm, this flows beautifully over the palate – fluid, modestly saline. Delicious – super wine.
2023 Chablis Marche du Roi
A south-east-facing quite steep hillside. This separated in 2003. Here the border between ‘France’ and ‘Burgundy’ ran through this valley – Maligny was French, not Burgundian – hence the Marche du Rois..
More vertical nose – of depth and high tones – a mineral base that was hinted at in the last but is more overt here. Here is also a wine of fluidity but more mineral, intense, a small note of aniseed – simply excellent wine – I love it!
2022 Chablis Carré de Cesar
Vines in Maligny – a little less than 2.5 Ha – same soil and exposure to Vigne de la Reine but a different wine, Portlandian and in a more open valley.
A calmer nose, of pretty, airy yellow citrus. This is also a lovely wine – of juicy fruit and fluidity – I think I slightly prefer the previous but this will be excellent too – just give it a year or two to settle more.
2023 Chablis Vieilles-Vignes
The youngest from 1942 the oldest from 1905… Multiple parcels with a large part in Villy plus smaller amounts from others, totalling 6 hectares
A smaller nose, but there are fine points of minerality peaking out from the base – slowly but surely some florals too. A little larger scale and concentration – a couple of mm of generosity – and very silky. More complete yet less ready – this should open out much more with time – I just find it slightly ‘soft-focus’ today but super wine. Delicious…
The 2022s !!
2022 Chablis 1er Fourchaume
From Homme Mort in Maligny – 4 different parcels. La Fourche à Homme – Durup the largest ‘independent’ here – 16 ha in 5 sectors of Homme Mort, l’Ardillieres at the end of the vines ‘practically the only vineyard in Chablis that’s 100% Kimmerigian.’
More intense and more ripeness to this yellow citrus – there’s a richness to this aromatic fruit. Large, saline, mouth-filling wine – much more airily attractive than the nose suggested – a cool fruit style. And a super intensity of finishing flavour – love that finish!
An enclave within the previous wine. This is from the steepest part of the vines – 3.5 hectares
That’s a great nose – open, floral and mineral – beautifully combined. A first wave of flavour that’s all salinity, the second wave too! Lovely over the palate – this has a fine texture too. A wine that’s not about the fruit, it’s about the place – bravo!
2022 Chablis 1er Vau de Vey
Was abandoned for generations after phylloxera due to the difficulty of cultivating. ‘Father in 1978 was the first to replant and we have 8 hectares here. The steepest of all Chablis’ 1er Crus’
A smaller nose – a more concentrated core of aroma, quite ripe. A vibrant energy here, not just minerality but an incisively complex citrus character – even a little lime in this flavour. Finishing clean and moreish. Yum!
2022 Chablis 1er Montée de Tonnere
2 hectares here – 2 parcels, both in Chapelots
Much wider aromas of complex citrus – there’s depth here too. Here is energy – mouthfilling, mobile, excellent flavour. And there’s power in this finish too – that’s a simply excellent wine.
2022 Chablis 1er Montmains
0.54 ha in two parcels – small for here – at the entrance of the valley – ‘It’s less mineral here than in the middle of the valley.’
A surprising riper, deeper, width of fruit here but a cold accent of minerality too. Extra wide, extra saline – also rather ripe but the fruit is not the main characteristic of this flavour-set: Mineral at the base, floral-perfume inflectd flavour. Still finishing with same vein of salinity. Quite different to all the Montmains that I buy but a lovely wine!
A blend of 1ers made since 2003, not always the same blend. A different label for this wine. ‘I was initially against – doesn’t it banalise the notion of the individual 1ers? – but in the end, it is indeed more complete.’
A higher toned freshness – airy, complex, perhaps a little spice and certainly some growing florals. This is mouth-filling and perhaps the most complex of all – as I suppose it has a right be – I like the silky texture and the ever-changing register of flavours. The finish, likewise, ever changing – more than excellent wine.
And to finish:
2020(!) Chablis Cuvée 1920
Made to celebrate the parcel planted with this date. Worked by horse, 0.17ha – hand harvested – the only wine here with some barrel elevage. Now made in great years – 2020 was considered as such, 2023 is the next. There’s a year and a half of elevage for this…
A large-scale aromatic – the impression of good texture but of course, it’s the barrel notes that are most overt today. This has fine shape and successive layers of flavour as the waves flood over the palate. The sucrosity of a patisserie in this oaked finish which is delicious – if that’s what you are looking for. I find a fine shape, energy and depth of flavour – but I wouldn’t be opening one for 5 years – hopefully you will then see the wine more than the elevage.