Tasted with Robert Perroud in his hidden valley of Les Balloquets, under Mont Brouilly, 24 February 2022.
Domaine Robert Perroud
Les Balloquets
69460 Odenas
Tel: +33 4 74 04 35 63
www.robert-perroud.com
More reports with Domaine Robert Perroud
Robert on 2021:
“In 2021 I wasn’t hailed or frosted – and despite lots of rain it’s not a big problem on the hillsides – it wasn’t a big harvest but I can0’t complain – 45 hl/ha.”
Robert on 2020:
“2020 delivered about the same volume as in 2021 – but very different wines! We had a lot of grapes but small and very concentrated – because of that, I’ve never seen such high alcohols but luckily with high acidities too. We start at 14.5° here but it’s the acidity that hides everything – we really had ‘Raisins of Corinth’ in style in some places but definitely not the leather flavours of 2003 for example. Some wines were 16° but with 4 grams of total acidity – I’ve never seen before… It’s the vintage, the balance between the alcohol and the acidity. The wines are totally different to the easy drinkability of the 2018s, whereas 2017 is a bit like 2019…”
The wines.
I’m a really big fan of the wines of Robert – and given the high alcohols he had to contend with in 2020 his results are remarkable – as noted in one of my tasting notes, you would never note the level of alcohol here – not for the first couple of glasses, anyway!!!
Almost everything was bottled when I visited – just the last one was to be done in April. A ‘small amount’ of sulfur is added for the bottling but nothing before – “We have to keep a close watch though to avoid deviations…:”
2020 Brouilly L’Enfer de Balloquets
The domaine’s biggest cuvée which is a blend of multiple parcels – l’Enfer refers to the heat that can be generated in this valley…
Plenty of colour. A nose that’s a little silky and dark, modestly tight but of pure fruit. Lots of energy and a cool style to fruit. Wide and fine textured. Easy mineral in the finish. Yum!
2020 Côte de Brouilly Foudre N°5
Two parcels planted in ’66. From the west of the hill with a narrow band of blue clay that the roots can go through but it’s harder for the water to penetrate – ‘so it’s never too wet, but the vines never suffer from the drought.’
Again lots of colour. A little extra width, a fine spice accent to more overtly pure and elegant fruit. Some impact but still with a darker fruit – very silky and with a little more architecture to the shape, the structure. That’s very good.
2020 Côte de Brouilly La Fournaise du Pérou
A small and hot half-hectare parcel, next to Thivin – worked by horse. ‘I don’t want too big, but it’s a bit of sport and worked the same way as my father.’ Barrel elevage with 6-8-year-old barrels then 5 months in foudre.
A little more floral width to this nose – also an elegant introduction. Supple, a mm-or-two of depth to this beautiful texture; seductive, layered and completely delicious – at least excellent, possibly a great wine – in fact, unbelievable for 16°!
2020 Brouilly La Ponte
As the bird flies, about 300 metres from the Morgon appellation.
More open with an extra waft of floral freshness. Cool, direct fruit, depth of flavour a liquor/kirsch style to the fruit but still so much purity – really a hedonistic style to this wine – and style it has! Persistent in the finish…
2020 Brouilly En Saburin Cuvée Pollen
70-year-old vines, plenty of water sources in this area. The same vinification and elevage as the last wine.
Another very impressive nose – it’s like a blueberry tart coming out of the oven! The most energy and freshness of all these – perhaps a suggestion of pyrazine in the complexity – but a fine complexity it is and it adds a little something here. Less seductive than the Pérou but that’s my new favourite!
2020 Brouilly En Saburin Romain
This not yet bottled – only commercializing a year later for this one. ‘100% wine here – there have been no additives at this stage’
Directly a peppery accent to this – slowly widening further with dark red fruit with fine clarity. Mouth-filling, texturally beautiful, an airy quality despite its concentration – practically fluid in style – this is so impressive indeed it has a strong personality. You won’t notice that it’s more than 16° – not for the first glass or two, anyway!
Nicely presented, red-wax topped.
A bit more open and a bit more aromatically complex too; slightly smoky and very attractive. Cool – fluid – small layers of complexity – easily a great wine despite the faintly smoky character that sets it apart from the 20s – super finishing too – bravo!
Les Whites:
2020 Beaujolais Villages Blanc Terres Blanches
A big area of clay in Quinicié – only 28 hl/ha – a 2 ha parcel
A really broad nose – almost a waxy/honied nose. That’s fine in the mouth – open and fresh – mineral but with no rigour. The finish is slightly strict but only slightly…
2020 Bourgogne Blanc Chiras
In the Pierres Dorées area of Cogny
Also a high-toned nose but with depth and concentration to the aroma. Large-scale in the mouth – that’s a bit more direct than the previous but very good too.