Tasted in Fleurie with Cyril Gigarel, 15 February 2024
Les Vins J.M Aujoux
44 rue des Sarments
69820 Fleurie
Tel: +33 4 69 37 00 89
Maison Instagram
www.aujoux.fr
Cyril on 2022 the market:
“You can’t really talk about the 2022 vintage as a single entity, ie to be happy with, or not – because there are those that harvested earlier and later so there are different styles. But overall, I do think it’s a good vintage. Export is holding up very well – it’s very good – we go up in the quality of the wines – and the second orders are mainly for the higher wines. Supermarket wines are suffering but general export has been a little down but seems to be improving. ”
The wines…
There were a few excellent wines amongst the multitude of labels…
2022 Beaujolais Pierre Charan
Hmm – there’s some dark-fruited ripeness, almost spice to this nose. Full, good energy, mild sucrosity – a pretty and easy wine to drink – Yum!
202 Beaujolais HVE
A higher-toned nose with a bit more energy. Almost a suggestion of gentian – but here still of large scale and a little sucrosity. The finish is really lovely – my favourite part.
2022 Jacques Dépagneux, Beaujolias VV Cuvée Louis
A little more floral perfume to this nose. More structural wine, and more juicy flavour too. Broad and fresh, quite long finishing. That’s a delicious wine.
2022 Jacques Dépagneux, Beaujolias VV Cuvée Anne
Plenty of colour. Also plenty of high tones and good aromatic energy. Wider, cleaner, also structural – but quite fluid too. The finish has a more serious side – delicious and concentrated but wait 6-12 months – maybe 2 years for this. This is the best so far!
2022 Domaine de Boisilière, Chiroubles
No added sulfur here – a quicker elevage too.
A bit of diam-style reduction here – it’s actually a Trescasses but of similar construction – but it fades. In the mouth, this is delicious, supple – open wine – concentrated and well textured – here it’s excellent
2022 Jean Chaplain, St.Amour
Clearly more open and fruit-led aromas. Hmm – this has a structure and great flavour attached to that structure. Some finishing sweetness in the tasty and fine finish – which invites another sip. Yum!
2022 Domaine des Vignes du Puits, St.Amour Les Vignes du Puits
A deeper width of aroma – less open in the higher tones. Large in the mouth, there is concentration here and still plenty of fine-grained tannin. A finish that you can almost chew but it’s not heavy – you should probably wait 2 years for this richness to be more accessible.
2022 Jacques Dépagneux, Fleurie Cuvée Marcel
The Wine Society ‘Exhibition Fleurie’ comes from here but it’s the WS team together with Aujoux who make the blend together.
More open and accessible aromas – some comfortably red-fruited aromatics. Supple concentration – there’s a good fluidity and quite a bit of structure too – this for keeping a while. The finish is super but I’d be waiting a couple of years!
2022 La Cave en Ville, Brouilly
Hmm – that’s the best nose so far – open, floral – it’s a lovely perfume. Large-scale in the mouth, more direct than overtly concentrated but here is material. Incisive red fruit in this finish – more accessible than the last two wines – you could drink this with pleasure today. Excellent wine.
2022 Pierre Charau, Brouilly
Also open and airy, with perhaps a bit more density to the red fruit. Large scale and juicier – also showing more structural aspects. Super finishing intensity but more finishing tannin too – wait the customary 1-2 years!
2022 Demaine, Brouilly Les Seours Jumelles
More intense red fruit – quite direct – almost redcurrant. Intense, linear, mouth-watering. Impressive intensity but keep this wine 2 years and see if it’s softened, the finish is a little drying today…
2022 Jacques Depagneux, Brouilly Pisse-Vieille Cuvée Janine
Strong but with a width of nice floral aroma. Large scale with bright energy and also plenty of structure and slightly drying tannin – but here there’s no grain. This is a fine wine – also wait two years but I find the structure classy here.
2022 Jacques Dépagneux, Côte de Brouilly Les Douze Perles
Airy top notes with a suggestion of reduction – but open and inviting. In the mouth this is forward, juicy and incisive – it’s very, very good. That’s a super wine, finishing slowly and with good clarity – yum!
2022 Jacques Depagneux, Julienas Vieilles-Vignes Cuvée Marius
An airy, easy, nose – there’s an attractive freshness here. In the mouth we have width and some power – this is intense and concentrated but not rich. The finish had lots of finishing dimensions – that’s a really super finish – give it a year or more in the cellar – it’s excellent!
2022 Domaine de Vermont, Morgon
Lots of aromatic energy here – almost a hint of gentian in the high-toned floral notes. Large scale in the mouth – floral, fluid. There’s the structure of Morgon but there’s nothing hard here. That’s a lovely wine.
2022 Domaine du Grand Bellevue, Morgon VV
A less open nose – there is depth but it doesn’t want to open. Direct, also intense, Lovely freshness and intensity to this flavour but it’s a bit one-dimensional today – the finish opens and is quite attractive though.
2022 Jacques Dépagneux, Morgon Cote du Py Vieilles-Vignes
Hmm – not a large nose but this is open and has a lovely complexity of higher tones. There is structure first, then mouth-watering juicy flavour second. Faintly tannic is the next step. Properly structured and with a lot of complexity. Give it 3+ years I think it will be super.
2022 Domaine du Long Cours, Moulin à Vent
There is depth here and another level of higher-toned complexity. Large in the mouth – an impressive blend of volume and concentration but with mouth-watering energy too. Also to wait for, perhaps a bit less than the Côte du Py – but this will be another lovely wine…