Tasted in Montmelas-Saint-Sorlin with Celia Rostand and for a short time David Large, 20 February 2024.
Domaine David Large
Le Clerjon
69640 Montmelas-Saint-Sorlin
Tel: +33 4 74 67 30 95
Domaine Instagram
www.davidlarge.fr
More reports with Domaine David Large
Celia on 2023:
“2023 – we have vines on granite, south facing – so it was hot – but we still had a decent quantity – we are not full but the volume was okay and it was quite okay to vinify.”
Celia & David on 2022:
“Celia: The 2022s all are bottled – we finished with the crus in the summer. A couple of malos were slow to finish. Volumes were 25-30 hl/ha – ‘ooh that’s low’ – not really, we are used to that on the granite hillsides with old vines! David: I’d have liked a bit more volume but I was happy with the quality – it was less of a test after 2021 but that was also good because it helps us to ask questions!”
The wines…
Some vintages I’m infatuated by these wines – other vintages I ‘just’ love them – this is a ‘love’ vintage. All the wines here have super concentration and I wouldn’t hesitate to wait at least 2 years for them.
2022 Nelson VdF
1 ha of vines from here in Rivolet
A dark nose – clean but not fully open though slowly adding some more floral accents. Large scale with great texture – broad, vibrant and intense – that’s a beauty!
2022 BTMB VdF
‘Batmobile!’ From the commune of Denicé, stony with clay here
More airy and perfumed – that’s lovely. Larger, fresher scale in the mouth in the middle a little tannin and a wine to wait at least 6 months for – like the last but the finish eases into the distance, more perfumed like the nose.
2022 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.
Depth of darker fruit here – almost a fizz. Broad, larger scale – hmm, this has a lovely, indeed delicious, intensity in the middle and finishing flavours – fine and fresh. That’s a simply excellent wine.
2022 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 – under 20 hl/ha in this vintage.
A more concentrated breadth of aroma. A small spritz. Open, slowly melting pretty red fruit over the palate – a little more red fruit concentration in this finish. I love the finishing dimensions of flavour – it’s great here – a wine also to be patient with – 1-2 years or carafe – but that’s completely excellent.
2022 Côte de Brouilly Bruhlié
Really old vines but they still produce well.
Perfumed dark red fruit – with a fine freshness. Depth, concentration but great width to these flavours too. There’s a growing intensity here to match the velvet-textured, mouth-watering, concentration. Hmm, that’s a beauty – I love it but be patient.
2022 Côte de Brouilly Le Pavé
All blue-stone but with younger vines
A larger volume of fresh aroma – suggests more airy perfume but it needs more air in my glass. Large scale in the mouth too – open with lots of freshness and a micro-grained tannin that has a little dryness to it today – no problem, like the others, wait two years. The classic juiciness of 2022 in the finishing flavour. And holding beautifully – just a bit more austere today but deliciously flavoured wine.
2022 Moulin à Vent La Roche Noir
Caraffed in front of me – ‘it closed quite a bit after the bottling and still has a very small reduction’ – but there’s good fresh energy to this nose too. Really panoramic width – structural, also a hint of tannic austerity – but less than the Pavé – but open easy, almost delicate and delicious finishing complexity – I love this finish. Carafe or have patience – it could be a beauty!
The white:
2022 Beaujolais Jack Rabbit Slim
From Pierres Dorées – 20 year-old vines.
A large scale freshness – ripe (12.5%) but with an inviting energy. In the mouth – we have scale and concentration – but also some minerality that brings some balance – a tasty wine
New, the vines for the following wine, which were previously from rented, are now part of the domaine. Celia explains “We didn’t have a lot of competition as it’s all so steep – but it was the grandfather of David that planted and worked those vines for the owner!”
2022 Beaujolais Villages Blanc ‘Dos Argenté’
Half barrel elevage and tank elevage – the plan was a little different but they had less grapes than expected – sheep accounting for the losses – walkers had ignored the sign to close the gate after them!!
Hmm – that’s really perfumed – there’s density and an invitation. Another wine of scale and energy – less overtly dense in this case. It’s a heavy perfume but not a heavy wine – it’s a delicious wine that keeps inviting me back. Lovely wine!
2022 VdF
First vinification – a few dozen bottles of Grüner Veltliner – the steepest slope with blue stone – ‘it’s our fun!’ This is not a commercial wine but the 2023 vintage will be. Made in stainless – a very small tank.
Direct a slightly metallic style of aroma today – peppery! Hmm, this has good shape and texture – almost a small grain of tannin – more melon-style flavour though I’m not really a fan of melon! But this is intense and has a super finish too.