Tasted with Cosima Bassouls in Lantignié, 25 February 2021.
Domaine Château des Vergers
150 Chemin des Vergers
69430 Lantignié
Tel: +33 6 69 71 18 31
chateaudesvergers.com
More reports for Château des Vergers
We met Cosima last year but here’s my first ‘regular visit’ to taste:
Cosima on 2020:
“It was different in the Spring – because of confinement – but that meant that we could spend plenty of time in the vines and work with the land – this I really appreciated. Another summer that was very dry but we didn’t particularly note any blockage of maturity – we have vines up to 400m so they were not all very early in terms of maturity, so it’s easier for the harvest when everything isn’t ready at the same time. With the changing of the culture in the vines we had some challenges in terms of yields but I sense also some extra resilience in the vines to the heat and dry. I used a cover of straw in some places and I think this held onto the moisture quite well.”
Cosima on 2019:
“I find the wines super now but they needed more time to show themselves – it’s only my second vintage but the 18s seemed to show really well right from the start. The 19s are finer, less explosive – I have the impressions of fruit explosions and deep colours for the 2020s right from the start too. Some areas had frost but not us – a little hail too but that was very early in the season so didn’t have much effect.”
The wines…
A classy range of wines, not all the 2019s shown as one was not yet bottled
Not all are bottled yet – the slowness of the market being one reasons, says Cosima:
2019 Beaujolais-Lantignié Aux Vergers
On blue-stone, three parcels but assembled for one cuvée – semi-carbonic with whole clusters.
Plenty of colour. A deep but also perfumed dark fruit. Nicely direct and assertive starting – freshness, a grain of tannin but without dryness. Juicy finishing nicely mouth-watering and long. Keep this 12 months but here is a really excellent wine with the balance to age beautifully.
2019 2019 Beaujolais-Lantignié Le Fût
This with a part of elevage in wood, bottled in Autumn – a mix of vines on blue-stone and a granite-rose – that later single cuvée not yet bottled.
Plenty of colour again. A softening of the aromatics by the barrel but no overt barrel references – that’s a really attractive, almost silky nose. Starting with more volume in the mouth a little extra tannin – less grain but more drying – super texture and width – more contemplative despite a fine starting energy. A wide finish, almost chewy depth to this flavour.
And two whites:
2018 Beaujolais Villages Blanc
The 19 not yet bottled as there remains 2018… Vines in a pocket of blue-stone but also with some clay in the soil.
The nose is complex with a granular complexity then a deeper fruit that’s quite mineral too. This is very silky wine before a little base of tannin shows itself – lovely shape. Not full of charm today but also not a wine of rigour – but I really like the structure and freshness.
2019 Beaujolais Villages Blanc Le Fût
Same parcel, no battonnage – 12 months elevage on its lees
Much more airy, some suggestion of barrel but also a ripeness of citrus. An extra cushion to the flavour here, the barrel is visible but the sweeping flavour is rather attractive all the same. Not my style of wine due to the oak, but it’s still a glass that I can appreciate very much. Just a small lick of phenolic finishing texture. Lovely.