Tasted with Eric Janin in Romanèche-Thorins, 27 February 2023.
Domaine Paul Janin & Fils
La Chanilière
71570 Romanèche-Thorins
Tel: +33 3 85 35 52 80
www.domaine-paul-janin.fr
More reports with Domaine Paul Janin
Eric on 2022:
“Only 28 hl/ha – though that’s better than 2021 which was only 14-15 hl/ha. But I’m very happy with the quality – I see much eclat.”
Eric on 2021:
“No, it’s not the lowest yields here – we saw this volume in 2016, 2017 and 2019 too – we are becoming used to it. It was the area principally close to Romanèche that was badly hit by the frost – I didn’t harvest either of our Beaujolais Villages (white & red). It was -7°C around the house – the higher you went up towards the windmill you didn’t see any damage. It took a long time before the vegetation started to re-grow – there was already 30 cm of growth in the not affected places when those that were hit restarted. But nature brought some balance – with the small number of grapes that we had, they could properly ripen and gave us good colour too. The Bordeaux mixture was very effective in the damp conditions of 2021. The yield is so low in 21 – fortunately, the wine is good! I waited to harvest some rain came and with it a little botrytis – I was worried but the botrytis didn’t spread so I could still wait a little.”
The wines…
Tiny quantities and fewer cuvées – the Heritage is clearly great but all are worth your time in 2021…
A part of the production was bottled in November, the rest just 10 days ago…
2021 Moulin à Vent Empriente
Made this cuvée since 2020, from domaine vines of 10-35 years old – ‘looking for a wine that is more enjoyable young.’ Brussellions and Perelles..
Plenty of colour. The nose slowly grows to fill the glass with darker fruit and nice aromatic clarity. Supple. Silky – a little generosity here – slowly fading with the faintest frame of tannin and faint coffee-bitters. That’s a beautifully drinkable wine – and of good concentration too – I think it’s excellent.
Vines up to 60 years-old – a blend of all the terroirs of the domaine.
Deeper colour. The nose starts deep but then blossoms in the higher tones – there’s some lovely perfume here. Extra silky again – the tannin more visible but it’s not destabilising. More direct, longer too – ooh – that’s a super finish – I could drink this today – but I know that I should wait longer! Perhaps a great wine with time – the finish is already absorbing and already great!
The range of different geologies of the domaine, rather than just the oldest vines of the domaine. Still, these are old vines – the oldest over 100 years old – bought by Eric’s grand-mother in 1937 – the climat is Clos du Tremblay. – the grapes for this were the last harvested…
Almost a little cushion to these perfumed aromatics – complex and what a perfume! More direct again – a wine with a more obvious structure – architectural but not hard. Super impressive middle and finishing – flavours with some fluidity! The finish has many of the aspects of the last – plus vibrancy. Great wine – keep it a couple of years before opening – if you can!
And the white: