de Bel Air – 2015

27.3.2017billn

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…

2015 Beaujolais Villages Le Granits Bleau
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.
2015 Brouilly
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!

2015 Morgon Charmes
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:

2015 Moulin à Vent Granit et Manganèse
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…

2014 Morgon Grand Charmes
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!

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

Burgundy Report

Translate »

You are using an outdated browser. Please update your browser to view this website correctly: https://browsehappy.com/;