Tasted with Cosima Bassouls in Lantignié, 24 February 2022.
Domaine Château des Vergers
150 Chemin des Vergers
69430 Lantignié
Tel: +33 6 69 71 18 31
chateaudesvergers.com
More reports with Château des Vergers
Cosima on 2021:
“In 2021 we’ve half a harvest – but what we did harvest was really good I think. I think I appreciate the work more after all that we went through in 21 – the recent vintages were almost too easy.”
Cosima on 2020:
“A very sunny year – higher degrees – 13.5-14.5° – I had to work to get the freshness for the white – but I’m now happy – but there were stresses for when to harvest. The reds, I’m really happy with them, lovely fruit from the granite and the blue-stone – concentrated and tannic and for some of them, I’m sure I’ll commercialise some a little later than a number of 21s – as they will keep very well.”
The wines…
I liked Cosima’s classy 2019s, but this is easily her best vintage to date – very well done!
All the 2020s were bottled in November and Cosima is just starting to commercialise some – except for the whites, they are almost gone, already:
Two types of granite – south-facing. ‘100 sheep in the vines but only for 2 days to attack the weeds but not long enough to make much of a change in the soil.’ Cosima has the impression that it also delays the growth of the vines by a couple of days…
Plenty of colour here. Concentrated cherry fruit in this – purity too. Hmm – that’s really another level to the nose and a depth of minerality too. Juicy wine at the same time – one of the best wines I’ve tasted from here – bravo!
2020 Beaujolais-Lantignié Aux Vergers
On blue-stone, three parcels but assembled for one cuvée – semi-carbonic with whole clusters.
Even deeper colour – a more concentrated nose – this needs a little time or, perhaps, a decanter to open its arms wider and (aromatically) engage more. This is large-scaled, framed by a micro-grained tannin. The texture of velour – the structure more visible, accented by the oak. This needs much more time to come together but all the parts are interesting – it’s already good but with 1-2 years of patience it could be excellent…
2020 Beaujolais-Lantignié l’Assemblage
This a new cuvée that’s a mix of the granite and the blue-stone mixed with a little longer maceration and all barrel elevage – ‘looking for a different aromatic for this new wine.’
Wider, a silky nose – rounded and accented by the barrel – a little creamy – but growing more perfumed with air. Ooh – that’s super – really mouth-filling but almost seamless and mouth-watering. The structure is present but much less forward and sauvage than the previous wine. Easy, juicy flavour that’s been rounded by the barrels but not neutered. Wide finishing and attractively so – the barrel is present but a long way from dominating. That’s super.
And two whites:
2020 Beaujolais Villages Le Blanc
Vines in a pocket of blue-stone but also with some clay in the soil.
Pure fresh, fleshy, slightly exotic but attractive. Hmm – that’s a fine texture, sinuous, slightly cushioned – almost seductive. 2020 is really a good year for B Blancs. That’s really excellent, finishing so well with a moreish style and faint salinity.
2020 Beaujolais Villages Blanc Le Fût
The same parcel, initially the same wine – Cosima waits for the fermentation to start in bulk then run this into barrels for 12 months.
More airy – a slightly golden style to the fruit – almost a honey style, of wax slowly growing in perfume. Extra freshness – more direct even a little strict but in a really attractive way. The barrel shows itself a little in the finish so wait 12 months. Again excellent and maybe, with time, the best of these two wines.