Tasted in Lantignié with Annick & Jean-Marc Lafont, 23 February 2017.
Domaine de Bel Air
69430 Lantignié
Tel: +33 4 74 04 82 08
www.dombelair.com
Jean-Marc on 2016:
“I actually just tasted with my oenologue and am very happy. Of-course it was a complicated vintage for the vignerons, but not for the wine! At the end of June it was a very ‘average’ time with a heavy pressure from mildew, we could see it starting to grow in certain parcels – particularly Brouilly and Morgon – and it certainly caused us to lose some grapes – but really not too significant. From 14 July right into October it was really perfect weather. There was hail too of-course, Moulin à Vent, a little in Morgon too – we lost 50% in MAV more like 10% in Morgon, and that was it – of-course compared to neighbours in Chiroubles for instance we have no place to complain. So perhaps about 15% lower volume. But I do think we have a few cuvées with the ripeness and level of 2015!”
Jean-Marc on 2015:
“It was a small harvest volume everywhere, but with perfect cleanliness and ripeness. Easy par excellence in the vines, a fruit that’s a little cooked but each appellation and terroir shows itself very well. I’ve done this for 30 years and I’m sure it’s the best vintage I’ve done – no other vintage in my memory was so easy yet with such superb results – every time! It’s a vintage for quality not cash as we have at least 30% less wine. Perhaps we have the chance to increase prices a little – but more than 5%? – I don’t think so.”
The wines…
I liked the wines very much here! Super wines – as was the case with their 2014s…
The vines are on a vein of blue stone which is the same vein as in Brouilly. South facing vines in Belair with about 20% from an opposing hill. about 5 hectares worth…
Round, nice aromatic volume, a little floral – very pretty. Hmm, this is lovely in the mouth – it’s concentrated, layered and absolutely delicious. Good finishing width with another wave of interesting flavour. Great! A delicious floral fruit here with an attractive suggestion of tanninc stricture.
6.5 ha, one parcel vinified apart, but the rest of about 5.5 ha is represented here.
Darker colour, a more profound nose, hinting also of a little freshness. Very silky, linear wine – a beautiful line, fresh, melting flavour, growing in intensity, ripe fruit but never flabby. This is another super wine and very different in style. Long, mouth-watering finish. Clearly greater wine but drink the other first. Excellent!
2015 Fleurie Granits Rose
Here on pink granite, with quite high vines – 387m
Less aromatic depth but more width, a floral width with a very slowly growing depth of dark red fruit. This has really nice freshness, and a layered herby accent to the fruit. Lovely mouth-watering flavour – more mineral than fruit in the finish. Love this finish!
A really good terroir the closest to here in Morgon.
Certainly less aromatic width but an impressive depth of flavour here – darkly fruited. But freshly accented. Much more volume and weight of flavour here – more structure too – but this is fresh and concentrated wine with a little base-line of tannin. Complex in the finish. A wine of muscle, and really super length – bravo!
2015 Moulin à Vent Les Burdelines
‘Our cuvee classique, we have one other (Granit et Manganese) still in wood.’ Here about 25% of the wine is elevaged in barrel. It’s not been long in bottle…
Fresh bright fruit notes, a luxurious fruit here. Volume and concentration together – great texture, supported by some oak, but it’s a modest accent. There’s a bright wave of finishing flavour here and it’s very persistent. A large-scaled wine with a little mid-palate rigour. Simply excellent.
The preceding wines are all bottled – those that follow, not yet:
From the sector of Burdelines, with some 70 year-old vines and the elevage is in the same ‘esprit’ as the Morgon. Elevage in 1, 2 and 3-year-old barrels.
This has quite a large nose though not the aromatic power of the last – a complex blend of herbs, fruit and wood. Very wide on the palate, melting flavour, a fine rigour of structure and again a very mouth-watering and long flavour. The last notes are oak inflected – but that will fade. Certainly a rasp if fine tannin in the finish. Vin de grade and a great one!
2015 Syrah Les Serines
Still in barrel. A granitic soil, virtually a hectare only 5 years old the vines now…
Here is a nose with a vanilla accent, but in the middle is a highly attractive mix of fresh and floral fruit. Slowly this loses the vanilla and gains in pepper – it changes much in the glass. A nice volume, subtly spiced, delicious fruit, still with an accent of vanilla. The finishing style has a little more tannin but still very fine and modest, almost floral too. Really a super-attractive wine…
A new cuvee, first seen in 2014 12-15 months elevage, bottled about 3 months
Not the widest but it’s a deep and textured nose with a subtle floral note that slowly grows. Luxurious texture and energy, again a wine whose flavours melt over the palate. An accent, but almost gone, of barrel, a richness that easily follows the 15s – contemplative and a beauty!