Tasted in Morgon with Mickael Gaget, 17 February 2017.
Domaine Gaget
Côtes du Py,
69910 Villié-Morgon
Tel: +33 4 74 04 20 75
domaine-gaget.fr
It was a spring-like day when I visited, the hares were wandering across the grass at the front of the domaine as if they owned the place!
Mickael on 2016:
“Morale was low for many in the first half of the year – so much rain and a really a high pressure from the mildew – another week of rain and who knows what we may have been talking about! Here, there was about 50% lost to hail in my parcel of Fleurie, but really when I compare to some people, that wasn’t so bad. The last part of the vintage was really good though, nice sun and a good concentration in the grapes – the quality is heartening.”
Mickael on 2015:
“I had about 20-25% lower harvest volume – starting our picking on the 1st September. There was a south wind here that dried the grapes as much as 5% per day. The days were a little cooler too – 20-25°C – which was pretty much ideal. I needed to be vigilant with the fermentations; a number of malos began before the alcoholics were finished. In 15 I put the grapes in the tank and did almost nothing – save a little remontage – it was clear that not much intervention would be needed to extract all the material. Only a couple of tanks needed a little pigeage, but that was because there almost wasn’t enough juice! The only potential complaint could be the relatively high alcohols, but taste and see what you think…”
Mickael is not selling much 2015 yet, he’s still concentrating on the 2014s…
The wines…
Bottled at the end of August, foudre elevage. 14.3°
A deep, narrow nose but of attractive dark fruit. Ooh – this is really nice in the mouth – good volume, comforting weight of flavour and texture in tandem. Layered dark fruit that is very easy to appreciate. Too easy for its age! Delicious wine and a good line of finishing flavour!
14.4° – I see every year, after only 2 or 3 days of cuvaison, that the colour of this wine is always different to the others – the first year I was worried (terracotta) that it was oxidising but my father said, nope, its always like that. There are some tinturière vines in this area. – maybe that’s the reason, I don’t know… This was bottled at the end of April and is one of the few 15s already being commercialised.
Ooh, a big nose and a deep nose too – more spiced. This is fine in the mouth, very dark, mineral-inflected fruit, but lovely layered delivery of flavour with excellent texture. This is really a supper wine – more muscled than the Fleurie, but no less delectable. Bravo! Lovely high toned notes in the finishing flavour too.
2015 Morgon Côte de Py
14.8°
Certainly a darker colour here. Really a deep nose, a hint pf pyrazine which very slowly becomes a little more floral. Also a super texture – again a hint of pyrazine and then a much more serious delivery of direct and complex fruit – ripe for sure but not over ripe. The tannin modifies the texture but not with grain. What a finish! But really to wait for – super!
2015 Morgon Côte de Py Cuvée Joseph
Bottled in January – 3 weeks ago… a selection from an old parcel, of 70 year-old vines with small grapes – 14.6° – elevage in barrel but none new, meursault/puligny barrels.
Deep colour. A high-toned oak-augmented nose, though it quickly changes and improves in the glass, in fact it keeps changing. Wide, beautifully textured, and really with a lot of energetic complexity of flavour – for the moment really to save in the cellar as its very oaky, but despite that it’s a very special wine – return in 10 years. It anyway won’t be on sale for at least 2 years, the 2014 is not yet for sale.
Whites sold out – so none to taste…