Tasted in Morgon with Jean-Marc Burgaud, 08 February 2022.
Domaine Jean-Marc Burgaud
La Côte du Py
69910 Villié-Morgon
Tel: +33 4 74 69 16 10
www.jean-marc-burgaud.com
More reports with Domaine Jean-Marc Burgaud
Jean-Marc on 2021:
I’m very happy – the volume isn’t so bad – minus 25% – but the quality is higher than I could have hoped for. The wines, so far, seem fluid but not too light, classic but not short. I think they could be very interesting.
Jean-Marc on 2020:
“In 2020 we made a decent volume and it’s quite a grand vintage. An early spring led the vines to push well without worries of maladies – not really suffering due to dryness but with big differences in yield, some sectors had plenty others very little – Brouilly for example had very little. The cycle began early and finished early too – I harvested from the 24 August – overall with very correct yields – say 45 hl/ha and quite homogenous – quite high sugars – 13.7-14.7° but no problems with fermentation. What I find interesting about 2020 vs other vintages of heat and ripeness is that 2018 has less fine tannins and more austerity for example and 2015 follows that same line.”
The wines…
I seem to choose the same ‘great wines’ each year – but you can’t beat consistency!
“DIAMs for BJV and blanc the rest are all ‘natural’ cork:”
2020 Beaujolais Villages Les Vignes de Lantigné
A single bottling from this 4.3 ha of vines. Bottled in April – all tank elevage.
Here is both aromatic concentration and a good freshness – opening with more complexity. Structural and mouth-watering. Actually quite a juicy wine, structural but with delicious flavour – wait 18 months and all will be in place.
2020 Régnié Vallières
The lieu-dit – 1 ha of vines here. The last for a while – Jean-Marc had been working a cousin’s vines but they will take them full-time for their own children. He’s looking for a replacement but won’t buy grapes to tide him over…
Plenty of colour. A concentrated nose that betrays faint flashes of interest – a carafe is needed here. Yes, really concentrated super silky too. Really a big wine that needs to unfurl but the mouth-watering finish is very delicious – I would perhaps wait a little longer for this than the Lantignié but it’s very good!
2020 Morgon Les Charmes
1 ha of 1932 vines, that were in family fermage but managed to buy outright from his cousin in 2020. In the west of Morgon towards Regnié but a different soil, the latest harvested parcel at the domaine and usually picked 1 week later due to sitting in a cooler current of air. This bottled in May.
A little reductive to start but swirling works some magic – opening with a fine perfume. I love the volume but openness of this, mobile flavour that’s faintly framed with a tannic dryness but no grain. Wide – a panorama of finishing flavour. That’s really excellent wine.
2020 Morgon Grand Cras
Just under 3 hectares of vines. Here is clay, it’s a harder soil to work, a little limestone in the mix too, part is less sunny, the last was very granitic. Started with these vines in 2006 – harder to work as more clay – ‘I often find the tannins less noble so have shorter macerations than Côte du Py with more remontage – I’m happier today but it’s still a wine that brings its reward if you have more patience – the 2017 was great but after 2 years in bottle.’
That’s a lovely nose – a width of complex and attractive perfume. I love the shape of this in the mouth – direct and cool fruited – wide but still with direction. The finish is a long, slow burner that ingrains perfumed flavour into the palate – that’s so classy. Very different and also excellent – the last large, this sleek!
‘This is a cuvée that I think representative of what I try to do – there’s over 6 hectares of vines represented here – with context, richness and depth, and the touch of fruit – each parcel providing the different component – vines 45-65 yo old – I’m lucky to have them!’ Bottled in August, the last was done in July.
A nose of dark-fruited depth – faintly with pepper in the higher tones. Ooh – super energy, impact from these flavours – broad and vibrant, deeply flavoured. That will be a great wine.
This lower on the slope. All large-format barrels for elevage, older barrels. Just 3 weeks in bottle after three months in tank – post-barrels.
Here is a width of complex aroma – starting with a little herb but expanding and improving, improving – a strong perfume. Ooh – now here is an open and mobile flavour – plenty of mainly hidden structure and a faint grain of tannin – but the assured, cool-fruited flavour is really quite something. Too concentrated to be ‘fluid’ but nearly! Really tons of extra flavour in the finish – assuredly great but be patient – it’s not yet fully delicious today – but it will be!
This from the summit of the hill – all the rest of the elevage is exactly the same as the last – to the day, only the origin is different, even the vines were planted in the same year – 1965. Same elevage and bottling as the previous wine.
A hint less colour. More profound aromatic depth and more airy top notes too – here the oak is visible as an accent – but what a nose – it grows more and more vibrant. Ultra-wide – panoramic – cool, complex fruit. Layered but never heavy or fat. Great wine and more accessible today than the Javernières – extra sophistication in the texture for this wine too. Bravo!
And le white:
2020 Beaujolais Villages Blanc
Vines planted in 2010, in Lantignié – a yellow clay hillside towards Regnié. ‘It was all gamay and producing not very much when I bought it in 1996. It’s 40% clay in the soil here so I decided to plant some chardonnay. Will use ‘Lantigné’ on the 2021 label. Bottled in March after all tank elevage. ‘I’m looking for fruit and freshness – easy and convivial’ 12.7° natural…
A broad nose, hinting at a little rigour. Supple with a growing intensity and silky texture. There’s a forward minerality but never with too much rigour. The finish has plenty of citrus energy too. This is good.