Tasted with Antoine Sunier in Régnié-Durette, 17 February 2022.
Domaine Antoine Sunier
243 Route des Plaignes
Les Forchets
69430 Régnié-Durette
Tel: +33 4 27 49 99 72
www.antoine-sunier.com
More reports with Antoine Sunier
Antoine on 2021:
“I’m planting a new plot of vines in front of the house but new plants are scarce because many nurseries had some mildew issues and lost as much as 30% last year. Likewise, I had 10k fewer bottles last year – a 40% drop with 20 hl/ha! Not too much frost here though the vines had certainly taken on some of the cold, so not all had flowers. We’re very sandy here so don’t hold onto the humidity as strongly as those with more organic material. The wines seem very fruit-forward, around 12° with good acidity but not too much – the August warmth probably saved the harvest to an extent, less sun in the wines than the three previous years but more classic Beaujolais.”
Antoine on 2020:
“In 2020 we started harvesting in august – but the last day of August! My highest degree here was 13.5° – helped by the cooler nights – the altitude here of 330-380 helped us with that too. 40 hl/ha – which is our aim – so I’m happy. The wines show a bit more power vs the 2019s – a year for keeping with good structure and not too high alcohols.”
The wines…
Always some parallels to brother Julien’s wines here – but always absolutely delicious wines too. A fine address!
Terroirs that are part alluvial, part more sand. 60-year-old Vines in front of the house plus some more densely planted vines of 80-years-old. Just 1g sulfur added to the wines before bottling.
Ooh – that’s really fruity and forward – almost a raspberry and crushed strawberry style to this fruit. Hmm, silky, direct, darker fruit than you expect from the nose. Wider and mouth-watering in the finish – a great entry wine.
2020 Morgon
This has been an organic plot for about 15 years – all old vines. It’s alluvial soil near Grand Cras, quite a light soil despite some small amount of clay.
A little less forward but open aromas of slightly spiced red fruit. Again beautifully silky, mobile flavour almost juicy citrus aspect in the middle flavours – not hyper-energetic but absolutely delicious. Very red-fruited in the end of the finish. Really excellent wine…
2020 Régnié Montmeronts
This a cuvée here since 2018 – before was an acacia forest but about 60 years ago this was planted. Very granitic with big rocks that had to be pulled out for planting. Montmeronts is the parcel name. This was bottled in November – lots of barrel age here – 228-litre barrels
Deeper colour – more direct and intense fruit, darker fruit – really inviting. Vibrant – perhaps a bit more acid-energy. Padded, generous but never fat or slow-moving. The barrel is visible in the flavours today – but give it 18 months and you may not notice anymore. That’s a beautiful, excellent wine with a nicely acidulated fruit in the finish.
A more graphite mineral nose – with a slowly growing floral aspect. The generosity of the last with the crushed red fruit of the 20 Regnié. Here the oak is invisible. Top!