Taupenot-Merme – 2013

Update 2.1.2022(30.3.2015)billn

DSC06071Tasted in Morey St.Denis with Romain Taupenot, 2nd February 2015.

Domaine Taupenot-Merme
33 Route des Grands Crûs
21220 Morey-Saint-Denis
Tel:+33 3 80 34 35 24
More reports with Domaine Taupenot-Merme

Domaine Taupenot-Merme is right in the centre of Morey St.Denis, just up the road from Clos de Tart. The ninth generation is here now, Romain noting 9 generations on his father’s side, from St.Romain, and 7 generations on his mother’s side, from Morey St.Denis. The estates came together in 1998, changing to bio in 2001, though Romain notes that his father was anyway working ‘lutte raisonné’ beforehand. Romain notes that “There are no external additions in the wine-making, thermoregulation is the only intervention – oh, and a 7 day cold soak. During fermentations we mainly pump over until there’s a nice balance, then the wine goes to a pneumatic press. Barrel elevage lasts for 12-14 months, then the wine rests in tank for a further 2-3 months before bottling – the 13s are to be bottled in the next weeks. We use no more than 40% new oak for our grand crus and 30% for the premiers, we also use different coopers; Francois and Mercurey, plus some additional trials each vintage. I like to make blind tastings of wines from different barrels to see how this goes – quite important for ‘almost’ a barrel of Clos de Lambrays!”

Romain on 2013:
13 was of course a surprise, starting our harvest on 3rd october, hoping for more sunshine… But we have lots of concentration and depth and the tannins extracted very easily – almost the opposite of the fighting during the year. It almost reminds me of our worry about 2010 vintage two weeks before we harvested. But in the end, I think we have nice concentration, freshness and certainly energy. Not quite as much energy as the 10s but not far away.

The wines…

A very fine address for 2013s!!!

2012 Bourgogne Passetoutgrains
A 50/50 blend of pinot and gamay from the same vineyard in Morey – 0.90 hectares.
A deep nose, hinting towards reduction. Dark red fruit which becomes more and more attractive. Quite big in the mouth but fresh and full of energy – a hint of reduction here, but not too bothersome. Fresh, herby and tasty. With quite a perfumed finish.

2013 St.Romain Rouge
From 2 parcels, one with more clay. Around 20% new oak.
Very good colour again. Fresher, almost minty. A more floral freshness to this nose, almost hinting at mint. Quite a bit of gas, but this is fresh and very tasty – of-course with plenty of oak components, but positively so. Fine length.

2013 Auxey-Duresses 1er Cru
A blend of two vines; Les Duresses and Grandes Champs. 20% new oak.
A nice aromatic, again with a slightly oak inflected baseline but gorgeous top-notes too. Fresh, lithe, lovely dynamism and with ingraining flavour. Real acid-led intensity here – I love this profile! Also a perfumed impression in the finish. Excellent

2013 Gevrey-Chambertin
A number of parcels (4) totalling 1.6 hectares. About 25% new oak for 12 months. Everything 100% destemmed…
A rounder nose with a little toasty reduction, quite modest intensity but becomes ever prettier in the glass. Lots of width in the mouth, lots of flavour complexity, balance and energy too. The oak flavour is ‘present’ but this is super wine! Again with a perfumed finish, last drops in the glass with a nice acid-cherry note. Yum!

2013 Morey St.Denis 1er Cru La Riotte
Older vines of about 57 years. Lots of clay here – a similar subsoil to Mazoyères.
Deeply coloured, the wine looks viscous as poured. A fresh, peppery, faintly spiced nose. Again a beautiful freshness yet with a depth of ripe fruit. A cushioned depth of flavour too, again rather perfumed flavour, long and really super…

2013 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Belair
35 years old on a shallow soil, steep slope near Clos de Bèze.
Deep and cushioned, a slowly growing higher-toned nose. The high tones start hinting of flowers. Lovely depth of flavour, this is gorgeous wine, showing complexity, depth and absolute deliciousness. A last hint of minerality and a salty accent. Super-tasty.

2013 Nuits St.Georges 1er Les Pruliers
Parcel bought from the Chateau de Bligny auction. Soil is very deep here.
High tones with a faint reduction but it gets prettier and prettier in the glass. A bead of gas but here is a more lithe, less padded wine than the Belair, but with lots of energy and complexity. Fine wine, quite transparent. Tasty and again, very perfumed in the finish. The last impression is finally of a faintly drying texture.

Next two wines are négoce from the Hospices de Nuits. The aging is a little longer for these wines 15-16 months, but the barrels are changed to older ones once delivered. Second vintage of purchases – both these wines are still in barrel.

2013 Hospices de Nuits 1er Les Didiers cuvee Fagon
From the old vines
Deep colour. Dark fruit, quite some depth with hints of freshness too. Depth, lots of concentration, big intensity, some coconut flavour in the middle then a little tannin texture – but ripe tannin. Deep, tasty wine, indeed delicious but quite a lot of oak flavour in the finish today.

2013 Hospices de Nuits 1er Les St.Georges
Romain is not sure what to call this one yet – as it usually wears a Faiveley label 😉
Higher-toned, hinting to matchstick though not obviously reduced. Lots of width and intensity. Gorgeously detailed with fine clarity, this is lovely, indeed very lovely. A hint of tannin texture in the finish. Very good length too. The last wine is more lush and enveloping but this has wonderful detail. Super!

2013 Corton le Rognets
0.43 hectares of vines. 40-45% new oak.
Here is a little reduction, but slowly there are very fine high tones here. In the mouth this is stricter, lots of muscle and no fat. Texture from the tannin in the finish but it’s very modest and ripe. Real Corton structure but also some brilliance here.

2013 Charmes-Chambertin
This nose starts a little meaty, then tightens then starts to pull you in with prettier and prettier notes. More cushioned texture but really brilliant dimension of flavour, growing intensity of flavour – almost thick in the mid-palate. Really tasty wine.

2013 Mazoyères-Chambertin
Deep and very detailed depth, a little discreet but still compelling. Again a little padding to the texture but I think with just a little more intensity and certainly more, mouth-watering mid-palate flavour. This is super and has a super, almost textured finish. Ouf!

And for good measure a few to follow:

2012 Gevrey-Chambertin
A freshness overlaying quite some depth, but seemingly just a little tight. Lots of width, lovely clarity of fruit and an intense top-note of flavour. Fades quickly but then holds a discreet note. Very tasty!

2012 Auxey-Duresses 1er Cru
Narrow aromatics but with high tones and a beautiful red fruit below – gorgeous. Full, energetic, insinuating flavour – plenty of minerality too and with super flavour dimension. A little less sauve texture to the tannin and a more mineral finishing note, but long and absolutely delicious!
2012 Mazoyères-Chambertin
Some reductive, slightly toasty notes, only slowly growing higher tones. Quite a mineral impression but then a brilliantly growing mid-palate flavour. Depth, texture and weight of flvour – wonderful stuff – the last drops in the glass taking on some floral aspects.

2011 Nuits St.Georges 1er Les Pruliers
Some pyrazine notes here. Nice weight of flavour, nice completity too. Good dimension and complexity and really good weight of finishing flavour….

2011 Mazoyères-Chambertin
Again plenty of pyrazine here, really nice weight and texture plus plenty of complexity – nicely balanced too. A nice wine.

2008 Mazoyères-Chambertin
A little lighter, transparent colour with more age of-course. Just starting to show a hint of leafy development, a little toasted bread at the core, and a growing complexity in the glass. Lovely width, a growing roundness and fine weight of flavour. A fine intensity of acid-led flavour of great depth. Certainly off-ripe in comparison to the 12 and 13 but with a very fine complexity.

Agree? Disagree? Anything you'd like to add?

There is one response to “Taupenot-Merme – 2013”

  1. Tom Blach7th April 2015 at 5:51 pmPermalinkReply

    Amazing to think that a 7 day cold soak was once regarded as the maddest modernism. Come back Guy Accad, all is forgiven!

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