Tasted in Chénas with Paul-Henri Thillardon and his ‘Coup Double,’ 10 February 2020.
Domaine Thillardon, Paul-Henri & Charles
Les Brureaux
69840 Chénas
+33 6 07 76 00 91
More reports for Domaine Thillardon
Paul-Henri, last year, on 2018:
“We managed to produce 40 hl/ha so I’m very happy with that. It wasn’t an easy vintage in the vines as there was a lot of rain until about mid-June – so that made life quite complicated. If it had rained longer the maladies would certainly have been problematic – there were plenty of storms – but then it was dry and we had an easier life! In the end we harvested practically nothing above 12.5°.”
The wines…
A fabulous range in 2018 – so highly recommended!
All bottled:
2018 Raison Libre
Domaine vines this year – they were bought in 2017 after they were frosted. All tank elevage.
Hmm – that’s a small but lovely nose – highly attractive. Nice volume in the mouth – some sweetness but open, slightly saline – good energy – that’s very tasty wine indeed – it will finish very quickly if left on the table – excellent wine.
The first vines from 2008. From the sedimentary section towards La Chapelle de Guinchay. On silex here. 50% elevage in old wood. Bottled in July… the only added sulfur was 15 mg before the bottling.
An extra depth of aroma – faintly reductive – but an attractive reduction. A touch of gas, more fresh energy – ooh that’s great – love that. Deeply flavoured but so light on its feet – bravo!
2018 Chénas Les Blémonts
1 ha of vines, more manganese here. P-H would wait 2 years for this – ‘4 is perhaps a bit complicated with our elevage unless you can be sure it’s kept below 12°…’
Very fine, lovely clarity though much more compact aroma. Oof! That’s even more intense, widening, framed with fine acidity and salinity. Slowly finishing with ripples of excellent flavour.
2018 Chénas Coup Double
From granitic soil
Floral, more richness of aroma too – very open wine. Ooh. That’s so lovely again – depth but a juicy leading edge of flavour. Slowly fading, partly floral finishing – another excellent wine – you wouldn’t be leaving the last 1/3 in the fridge overnight!
2018 Chénas Vibrations
Assembly of older vines – 90! – in conversion to organic.
A bigger, deeper, almost dirtier – reduction – nose. Big – a fresh wall of flavour here – slowly adding a certain richness – Vibration is apt. A super wine. You should wait longer for this says P-H as the assembly of terroirs needs time to come together…
Just over the Chénas hill behind the domaine. Les Michelons and Perrachons Perrachons – all granitic, nearly 70% barrel elevage.
Deeper and darker nose but that’s, for sure, the reduction speaking here. Yes – so, so juicy – darker fruit, but not quite ready – though I’d still have a go – juicy intensity. Great!
Old vines of 95 years behind the domaine – in organic for a number of years – the young vines not yet ready to be included.
This nose is floral but quite compact again. Hmm – that is equally mouthwatering but more considered, more elegant ‘sophisticated’ texture. Extra in the finish – ooh great wine here – bravo.
Really floral and open -that’s such a great invitation. Silky, driving, still young, gorgeously floral but intense – saline like the others. That’s a great finish – bravo – all of this wine is so floral and fresh! ‘Yes but it was constructed in bottle‘ says P-H, ‘I always thought it rather short before the mise…‘