Tasted in Lancié with Gilles Gelin, 08 February 2019.

Domaine des Nugues
Les Pasquiers
40 rue de la Serve
69220 Lancié
Tel: +33 4 74 04 14 00
www.domainedesnugues.com

Gilles on 2018:
“2018 – I’d like the same every year until I retire! For me it’s a great vintage because lots of its freshness – I like 2015 but sometimes I can think that it’s a bit too much, but 2018 has a bit more freshness despite similar alcoholic degrees. Did I mention that there were plenty of grapes too?! We were 40% and 25% down in the previous two vintages, so of-course 2018 will ease the pressures. We had 3 new cuvées too – no 4 – there’s my Gamesco (clearly not Prosecco!). I used a lot more oak in this vintage too. My 92 year-old grandmother tells me that similar vintages to 2018 would be 1947 and 1965.”

Gilles on 2017:
“2017 is a super quality vintage, but with big deficits in volume – we are 40% down in villages, 40% down in Fleurie too. We bought some vines in Moulin à Vent and that was down 60% – but fortunately there’s nothing to find in the flavours so the impact is only on the volume. In the crus it was better here in 2017 as in 2016 we lost 60% but in 17 we only lost 40%! There are some similarities to 2018 to be found in the wines, I think they have super potential, the reduction of the volume by the hail wasn’t always bad as there’s some good concentration – it needed a lot of triage thought! I decided to complete all the malos in the whites.”

The wines…

A very good range from Gilles – he does more with some of his Beaujolais Villages than some other producers can do with their crus. Always a very good address.

2017 Beaujolais Villages Blanc
All from Lancié, on limestone, worked at a low temperature.
A fine width of freshness here – this is inviting, with almost a touch of lime fruit. Wide, fresh – nicely open wine – it plays well over the palate – juicy, not too rich or oaked – judiciously put together. Excellent BJVB!

2017 Beaujolais Villages Rosé
Made in the same low temperature way as the blanc. Malo done. Just a couple of days in bottle.
Fresh, salmon pink. Ooh – that’s a great nose – fantastic. Some richness of texture and flavour but deep and saline, plenty of interest here. Almost great BJVR! Nicely floral finishing and long too!

2018 Beaujolais Sans Soufre
Bottled one month.
Lots of colour. Deep, round attractive dark fruit. Round in the mouth too, some softness of texture, depth of dark fruit – just like the nose – easy and very attractive to drink. The finish is very classy too!

2017 Beaujolais Villages
Just about to start commercialisation. Like all the BJV here, all is in Lancié.
Wider less deep, fresher, more definition to this nose. Fresh in the mouth too – plenty of volume, but a line of faintly tannic, long, mineral-inflected flavour. Serious and very good!

2017 Fleurie
Bottled at the end of July, very old vines with 11k density of plantation.
Wide and concentrated dark fruit. Ooh volume, energy, salinity, great structure and super long finishing – this is excellent!

2017 Moulin à Vent
Second vintage from 1.5 hectares in Burdelines – second vintage with hail too.
A deeper nose, actually quite vibrant, complex, almost a Vosne complexity here. Good volume, complex, lots of texture of tannin of concentration, ooh – this is excellent, saline – juicy wine. It’s vibrant finishing too.

2017 Morgon
Hmm, that’s deep and spicy. Deep flavoured too, a little richness to the concentration and the texture, a wine of structure and many dimensions – if there was a hint more clarity I would assuredly say ‘great’ – perhaps that will come – but this is still, almost great!

2016 Fleurie
Open, floral, perhaps pyrazine, certainly a richer nose. More direction and drive to this wine, floral and delicate finishing, but concentrated. Pretty good.

2016 Elle et Lui
Mix of syrah and gamay
Ooh – a wide and exciting nose – deeply fruited – different, delicious. Drive, fresh, good volume – an open wine – the nose IS concentrated the palate less so, but not less delicious. Long, mouth-watering spicy…

Gamaysco
White, sparkling wine. Bottled 8 days: all gamay. 5 grams sugar here
Fine, soft but attractive fruit. Big in the mouth, fresh and delightful – the bubbles are a bit aggressive to start, but this is tasty wine. A good match for many other styles of bubbles!