Claire & Fabien Chasselay – 2015

16.3.2017billn

Tasted in Châtillon d’Azergues with Fabien Chasselay, 15 February 2017.

Claire et Fabien Chasselay
123/127 Chemin de la Roche
69380 Châtillon d’Azergues
Tel: +33 4 78 47 93 73
www.domaine-chasselay.com

Fabien on 2016:
2016 brought just a little frost that touched some of our chardonnay – it was fractions of degrees the difference between really frosted and virtually untouched. The white yields were low at 29 hl/ha but we had more like 40 hl/ha for the reds – and they were nice grapes. Because of the rain and pressure of mildew, even in July, the mildew landed directly on the grapes and dried them, so we are fortunate that we harvest by hand – of-course that took a lot of time too. We chose to regularly swap areas for the harvesters – so we could share the joy! 🙂

Fabien on 2015:
2015 was a super year – easy to work but hard to vinify – the maturity was impressive in terms of degrees but it was work to avoid extracting hardness. It was really too dry for too long so there are some high degrees but it’s a grand millesime de garde. 15 is rarely a rustic vintage despite the combination of the weather and the possibilities for extraction. The tartaric acid was concentrated the malic was virtually burnt away – the malo happened fast – blink and you might miss it – there was virtually no difference in acidity afterwards. They are ripe wines but not over-ripe – the ‘cannons’ here are already sold and almost replaced by the 2016s already…

The wines…

Here be monsters – but some absolutely great wines too!

2015 Beaujolais La Platière
On argillo calcaire – ‘it’s not possible to plant without breaking up the rock’ – bourguignone style production a but no pigeage needed. One year-old on barrels.
Deep, dark, large-scaled nose with a little vanilla in the background. Big, intense faintly bitter but attractively so – really a great freshness and super almost black finishing intensity with licorice.

2015 Fleurie
One parcel in La Chapelle des Bois another from Clos Grand Cour – 80% destemmed, 12-15 days of maceration.
Elegant, deep absolutely gorgeous nose – one of the best – with a faint floral. Super in the mouth with fresh energy and a little more rigour than the nose – as it should be. This has really depth of changing flavour. It’s so amply excellent – mineral in the finish too.

2015 Morgon
From Doubie – all these wines have the same vinifications
A little blacker, narrower but deep, this with a hint of vanilla and slowly with flowers too. Direct, intense, again very much depth of flavour and some structure too – actually I find this easier to drink than the last – marginally.

2015 Chénas La Carrière
Ooh, that’s inky deep! Layered, impressively, impossibly deep yet fresh and changing. Really this is quite something. Massive but drinkable – that’s quite a combination. Bravo! A great finish too – how can it be so opulent but fresh and drinkable all in one?

2015 Côte de Brouilly l’Heronde
Black wine. This one is really the first with a clear alcoholic nose – I ask, the answer is 16°! A little alcohol in the mouth too – yet at the same time a beautiful texture and a wine of panorama. It’s impressive but for this palate, well behind the last wine! Concentrated black, dried fruit in the finish. An RMP 100?

2015 Bourgogne Pinot Noir
Planted in the local terroir. 20 days of cuvaison but no pigeage – high alcohol – it required 1 year to finish the sugar!
A deep nose, also a little alcoholic, but less than the last. Hmm this is nice in the mouth, supple, layered, still a little high in alcohol, but really a luxurious wine, a sumptuous wine. A long finish – again not my style but it’s certainly captured the vintage!

2015 Beaujolais Blanc Eparcieux
Two old vines, principally plain south-facing, old masalle selection near the domaine with one year in barrel.
A deep and quite overt nose of ripe fruit with a hint of supporting oak. This is a wine with a richness of flavour but quite a sympathetic supporting acidity, layers of finishing flavour. This is very, very tasty but I’d like a little more freshness – or maybe an ice-cube will be enough 😉

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