Tasted in Charentay with Julien Bertrand, 14 February 2024.

Domaine Bertrand
108 Chemin de Bonnege
69220 Charentay
Tel: +33 6 95 53 55 91
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www.domainebertrand.f
More reports with Domaine Bertrand

Julien on 2023:
“We didn’t have hail here but there was a big heatwave from 14 August and it grilled a lot of grapes that were exposed to the sun in the afternoon – we saw more than 40°C. We still had a lot of nice grapes but lost some too. It was cooler after the first canicule but then came another after the cool, just when we were starting to harvest. There was a little rain but it came after we’d finished harvesting – all was ready at the same time so that was a problem – we took 11 days but perfect would have been 3 – not easy for 13 hectares when you harvest by hand. But it was surprisingly easy in the cuverie after harvesting, only the malos were a little slow. Less concentrated than in 2020 but we needed to do a lot of triage – the vibrating table helped after a first triage at the vines. I think different to 22 – a bit more acidity for instance and at the same stage a little less fine than 22 but that was a vintage where the wines seemed ready from the start. Another different style of vintage I think – but it was difficult to choose the date to harvest.”

Julien on 2022:
“All are bottled. The volumes are practically the same as in 2023. We had some strong rain in June which stayed in the soil so we worried about mildew. Then it was dry, but we had 15mm of rain about 10 days before the harvest which de-blocked any vines that were struggling and helped get the vintge over the line. We didn’t have a lot of acidity so vinifications without sulfur were a concern – we had to more vigilant than in 23.”

The wines…

A super range from Julien in 2022 – all delicious and the Pisse-Vieille I think could be great!

2022 Fleurie Le Deduits
This all-tank elevage bottled in April with a small dose of sulfur for the bottling – the only dose.
Lots of colour. Fine, pure and perfumed. In the mouth this is lovely – clean with a melting, mouth-watering energy and silky texture – a small grain of tannin rises to the surface but this is a delicious wine and no real reason to wait for it. Beautiful finishing!

2022 Fleurie Nova
This with demi-muids elevage and also no added sulfur at bottling which was similar timing to the last.
This seems more vertical – more concentration at the base of the aromas. Hmm, even nicer texture too – late arriving tannin again but with only a tiny grain. The finish a little broader and beautifully perfumed. Today I’d take the previous, in another year, maybe this wine.

2022 Brouilly Vuril
Brouilly is a third of the domaine’s production. This a mix of young and much older vines behind the domaine in Charentay.
Also nicely direct aromas – growing with a lovely floral perfume. Fuller but full of flavour energy – this wine is less about comforting texture and more about delivering flavour complexity and then more flavour complexity. And, it’s completely delicious – excellent wine!

2022 Brouilly ‘Wiosna’
That’s ‘Springtime’ in Polish. Same terroir as the last but like the Nova with some demi-muid elevage.
Hmm – here is a concentrated but beautifully pure nose – darker fruited. Fine scale in the mouth – no place left untouched – fine-grained tannin framing the flavour. The finish concentrated but complex and long. Just another super, practically excellent wine.

2022 Moulin a Vent Les Petits Bois
The southern point of the appellation near the domaine of Duboeuf – ‘it’s a good place in a dry year like 2022.’ Just a little longer maceration vs the previous wines and a couple of degrees warmer up to 28-29°C whilst fermenting. There was no 2021 of this so this was bottled in April 23…
Not a large-scale nose – fine clean top notes but a little shy vs previous wines. More concentration here – a width of flavour, almost a little fluidity to this energetic presentation. The finish grows after you swallow before slowly fading with some floral perfume.

The Blanc:

2022 Beaujolais Blanc
Vines in the east of the village of Charantay – filtered as the malo wasn’t done – it rarely goes through malo from here this parcel. Charantay is one of the rare villages with BJ, BJV an cru (Brouilly) most of the BJ land here has been planted to Chardonnay.
A broad – intense but essentially wide nose – I sense some mineral rigour. But in the mouth this is nicer than the nose – a little stony and juicy – concentrated through the middle flavours