Tasted with Robert Perroud in his hidden valley of Les Balloquets, under Mont Brouilly, 22 February 2023.

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 2022:
“We lost some volume due to the heat and dryness but I do think the vines are becoming more tolerant of the hot conditions – the single first hit in 2003 was a nightmare but the vines seem to look better every year. The style of the wines resembles 18 or 20 but in the cuverie it was more complicated as there was a tendency for the malos to be fast but not the sugars – so we had to be vigilant.”

Robert on 2021:
“Zero frost here. And on the hillsides, we didn’t have too much problem with mildew which allowed me to harvest later with higher levels of phenolics – 12.2-12.5° harvested. I had around 45 hl/ha but on the hillside, with organics, I can’t expect a lot more and actually, my average in most recent years is close to that. It was a vintage that showed some vegetal notes that we haven’t seen for a few years. The wines weren’t easy to taste I almost have the impression that it was the heat of 22 that helped the 21s come out of their shells during elevage. All the older vignerons here will tell you if you had a year that lacked sun you should take your time in the cuverie. Yes, you could call it a modern classic but modern because maybe the average yield was 30 hl/ha not 60!”

The wines.

More of the wines are sturdy than perfumed but I think the quality very high here in 2021 – but you should mainly have a little patience.

All the the 21s are bottled indeed most are already sold. :

2021 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… Bottled in November
Lots of colour. A nose that has a faint spice over tighter, darker fruit. Silky wine, more direct than wide – with freshness and a little structure but nothing hard – drinkable as this is, I think I’d wait another year or so – but this moulds itself beautifully around the palate in the finishing flavours.

2021 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.’
Lots of colour again – here’s a nose that is showing more and has an implicit cushion to its width – nice. Fresh, almost incisive – there directness here and a more vocal structure. The mouth-watering flavours are good but I’d be waiting 1-2 years for this structure to soften a little – finishing with a little touch of tannin with the lingering flavour. Very good.

2021 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.
More open and slightly redder fruit. Oh yes – open, fresh, ultra-mouth-watering, indeed juicy – I love this energy. I’d still wait for the fruit to express itself a little more. This will be excellent!

2021 Brouilly La Ponte
As the bird flies, about 300 metres from the Morgon appellation – plenty of clay in the soils here.
Deep colour for the vintage. The fruit is tight but this is the first wine with plenty of perfume – quite different to the others. Like the last – vibrant, fresh and juicy wine. Almost too direct – I’m waiting for more width in the finish – but it stays direct but very long – almost with some licorice aspects. For keeping 2-3 years…

2021 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.
A dark nose – like all – not so open with its fruit. A suggestion of reduction in these flavours – wide and fresh – here the concentration is less direct and more visible. Here is another wine that impresses but the modest austerity that it shows suggests waiting at least 3 years…

2021 Brouilly En Saburin Romain
More depth to this nose – but not width – still slightly warm-spiced. Hmm – similar fresh and structured style to the previous wine but here with a little more ‘comfort.’ Supple, rounded at the edges – still better to wait – I’d say at least a year – but no shame to drink this one today.

Les Whites:

2021 Beaujolais Villages Blanc Terres Blanches
(White) Argilo-granitic soil with clay in Quinicié – a 2 ha parcel – about 1 third old barrel the rest with tank elevage.
Deep, almost a little muscaté aromatics. Round, supple but clean – maybe a small reduction – or is it minerality? But long – nothing to dislike here this is a very good BJVB!