Tasted in Oingt with Quentin Morel, 24 February 2023.
Domaine des Prévelières
Quentin & Gaëtan Morel
986 route du Layet du Bas
69620 Val D’Oingt
Tel: +33 6 89 40 85 33
www.domainedesprevelieres.com
More reports with Domaine des Prévelières
Quentin on 2022:
“2022 was a super vintage. We had the chance that given the altitude of our vines, we could keep some freshness – 45 hl/ha in the reds and 50 in the whites – we can live like that!”
Quentin on 2021:
“This was more complicated. We had plenty of frost, so clearly we had fewer grapes – but grapes, nonetheless. I like the freshness of the wine – but it was a lot of work in the vines – you could call it a vigneron’s vintage – ending up with just half a harvest – we don’t want to do that every year. I’m persuaded that the quality of the grapes made all the difference in 2021!”
The wines…
Two years in a row – clearly one of the best addresses in the Pierres Dorées!
2021 Beaujolais Pierres Dorees, Grain d’Argile
Bottled nearly 3 weeks. The work was not to have too much power and retain drinkability – some fruit and some freshness.
A width of fresh-topped, deep, dark fruit. Round – with depth of flavour – easy to assimilate but still with lots of power and intensity. That will be super.
About 40% destemmed. 90% tank elevage with some 500-litre large-format barrels too. Bottled at the same time.
A darker width with an attractive faint spice. Larger scale but also more open – hmm – that’s really lovely. A wine to wait for – 1-2 years – but it’s a beauty – bravo!
2021 Beaujolais Pierres Dorees Mont Joli
Practically the only place here in the Pierres Dorées that has granite, plus wind from all directions – very meagre soil that can dry out quickly. 13 months of elevage. 70% old demi-muids for elevage the rest in tank.
Plenty of colour for the vintage. A little more fruit clarity but still darker fruit – very lovely. Juicy – broad, fine energy – a grain of tannin that would make me wait a year to start drinking – I really don’t see anything of the barrels – beautifully made – simply excellent 2021!
2021 Beaujolais Pierres Dorees Rongefert
Volcanic soil here.
Plenty of width but less depth – redder fruit, faintly smoky – the aromas becoming ever-more precise and faintly of graphite. A juicy cascade of energetic flavour and so juicy finishing too – still a little structure – like all of these, to keep for at least a year – preferably 2 but today this just needs to be a bit more texturally interesting. Potentially also an excellent wine.
And Les Whites:
First a rosé then les whites – it’s about 30% whites at this domaine:
2022(!) Gamay Rosé
A mix of depth and energy – attractive – no rigour. Supple, deeply flavoured, modestly tannic and growing in juicy intensity – I think that’s a great, attention-holding, finish.
2022(!) Beaujolais Pierres Dorees Blanc Les Pierres Dorees
We are not looking for long keeping, we make these to be drunk in the first couple of years.
A bright attack – plenty of ripeness – more apricot here than exotic. In the mouth there’s width, easy minerality, and even a very faint tannin. That’s an impressive white!
A ‘small’ parcel near the house – 1 ha surrounded by acacia woods, below is the limestone of the Pierres Dorées – stone quarries are hidden in the woods that surround the vines – hardly ever more than 30 cm of soil before the bedrock.
A more vertical nose with extra high tones – almost a perfume – that’s super! A wine that washes over the palate – the barrel very subtle – more of a slight rounding of the shape. Mouth-watering, clean-flavoured – just a delicious thing – bravo!