tasted in Villé-Morgon with Claude Emmanuelle and Jean-Baptiste Desvignes, 15 February 2018.
Louis-Claude Desvignes
135, rue de la Voûte
69910 Villié-Morgon
Tel: +33 4 74 04 23 35
www.louis-claude-desvignes.com
On 2017:
“In 2017 we were hailed again, so there’s not too much wine – less than in 2016 – but we bought some grapes in Corcelettes and Monts Paulins too – two parcels near Doubie. It was like a sand-blasting in Fleurie in 2017 we even considered replanting some of Côte du Py as the damage was so wide, really the wood of the vines also had damage so much care was needed to prune. There’s not much but the vintage is magnifique – a nice mix of 16 and 15 – the structure of 15 but the fruit of 16 and a little less alcohol too than in 2015. The vintage was quite dry apart from the brutal hail and then 40 mm of rain about 10 days before the harvest – which made the harvest I think.”
On 2016:
“The 2016 vintage a grand classic for Beaujolais. Of-course it’s the result of a lot of effort and lots of perturbations – we were twice hailed – we lost the equivalent of 2 from 11 hectares – finally we brought in about 27 hectolitres per hectare. It was really hard in the first part of the vintage but the reward was waiting at the harvest.”
The 2015s sold very quickly, so the 2016s were bottled slightly early – the end of May and into July… Much of the 2016s are already sold/reserved…
The wines…
Super wines in 2016, despite the hail – but good luck finding some as virtually all are reserved…
2016 Morgon La Voûtre St.Vincent
From 5 hectares of vines in the climat Doubie and vines in the direction of Fleurie. Average 60-year-old vines, usually the first to be harvested. Made with a 14 day maceration in cement tanks, with some destemming for this cuvée since 2008.
A nice depth of aroma but a more compact width. Open, mobile a little saline. Growing in intensity with a nice line of flavour that goes long, long. Wait a little for this but is is very nicely mouth-watering and tasty.
2016 Morgon Javernières
Bottled 31 May – east-facing bottom of Cote du Py. A different soil, so separated. There’s more clay here, and the grapes are a little slower maturing – here needs more time.
Also a nose that’s a little tight but a little more depth and almost texture to this red-fruited nose. More width, a little fresher – really beautiful purity of fruit – still some structural rigour towards the finish but very fine clarity of red fruit here – very attractive wine indeed – lovely!
90-year-old vines. Practically all whole cluster, just the last few cases were destemmed to give some juice.
A little more roundness of aroma – sweeter – still a little compact, then ‘ping’ a beautiful violet aroma. Structurally more rigorous, but the flavour in between has wonderful clarity again, this time accented by the flowers on the nose – bravo! Bravo – love this wine – you have to wait a couple of years – but it will be worth it!
2016 Morgon Javernières Les Impenitents
A black sheep on the label. This second cuvée of Javernières is made from a much older parcel of vines ‘Les Impenitents’ – more than 100 years-old vines. This bottled in July. All elevage for this in stainless-steel
The most open nose – and what depth of aroma too – darker fruit of more volume. Good volume in the mouth too – here with a very fine texture and an intensity of flavour that grows, it’s also more driven and direct, really something in the middle but rather primary versus the Py, less floral, more licorice and saline. But then a little extra finishing width – and with great persistence too! Excellent.