Tasted in Montmelas-Saint-Sorlin with David Large & Celia Rostand, 21 February 2023.
Domaine David Large
Le Clerjon
69640 Montmelas-Saint-Sorlin
Tel: +33 4 74 67 30 95
www.davidlarge.fr
More reports with Domaine David Large
David on 2022:
“I think nicer, certainly warmer – it’s a different balance – to that of 2021 – though we had much better volume than in 2021. We lost a bit of volume in the more sandy areas, waiting for the maturity – the dryness brought some suffering but the grapes were still in good shape and clean. Wines that will be a bit more opulent – radically different to 2021.”
David on 2021:
“Frost, hail, some rot – definitely no extra volume – about half the normal production here. The maturity was a challenge to achieve – 11.8-12° in general. I like to have some whole clusters and they were a bit more on the limit – but the fermentations were okay, some a little slower. We saw a bit of reduction during the elevage – they fluctuated a lot. Our last bottling was in September – we waited for some of the wines as a few malos were slower. It makes us think of 2012 whose wines were complicated at the start and took their time to become interesting…”
The wines…
Some reduction here and there but, all the same, some lovely wines.
2021 JP10
Beaujolais but labelled VdF. The cuvée that changes it’s name very often – it was DMZ12 last time – now it’s Jurassic Park!
Some breadth of aroma – but the action is in the bass-line here. Supple, concentrated – nice texture. Broad finishing – redolent of the nose. That’s lovely – deeply flavoured, tasty wine – excellent.
2021 Beaujolais Villages Grand Terriers
Old gamay, volcanic rock, some sand, like the Nelson with small black grapes. David’s grandfather and father always vinified these apart, steep here. Old vines that don’t produce much.
More higher tones present here – that’s nice, slightly floral perfumed. Hmm – that’s a beauty – high-toned, perfumed fruit, more direct but still silky – a hint of menthol in this complexity – this is excellent! I love the slowly fading finish too.
2021 Beaujolais Gamayhameha
Only stony clay in Denicé – ‘our only vines with a flat aspect.’ A little more maceration in this one as there was no frost or hail here.
Some floral perfume but more shy – closer to the first wine than the second in style. Mouth–filling, more tannic – but lots of energy – an almost chewy style to this wine – but always mouth-watering – very tasty wine – but style wise my favourite would be the previous – good finishing concentration here.
2021 Côte de Brouilly Le Pavé
First vintage with this parcel. All blue-stone
Starting with a small reduction. In the mouth this is finer, with more open structure, nicely juicy – the reduction showing through here – not too bad but it needs a carafe. The wine is fine below – the finish is lovely with some fine-grained tannin too – plenty of class. We tried the ‘Fourrier shake’ and it made a 95% perfect wine – lovely!
Their Moulin à Vent was also very reductive so they chose not to show it.
The white:
2021 Beaujolais Villages Blanc ‘Dos Argenté’
The ‘silverback.’ Always a small production – not 1,000 bottles. No malo for this wine – naturally – so filtered.
Round, ripe, slightly exotic fruit. Supple, a wine with cushion and style – this is lovely – a subtle minerality underpinning the flavours – never quite with rigour – actually long finishing with a little quince-style fruit. That’s an excellent white!