Tasted with Robert Perroud in his hidden valley of Les Balloquets, under Mont Brouilly, 21 February 2024.
Domaine Robert Perroud
Les Balloquets
69460 Odenas
Tel: +33 4 74 04 35 63
Domaine Instagram
www.robert-perroud.com
More reports with Domaine Robert Perroud
Robert on 2023:
“Very happy – it was hot but we have to be used to it by now. We work hard to keep the vines in good shape in this climate.”
Robert on 2022:
“We had less yield, nature was less generous than in 2023 but we still had lots of concentration. I’d call it an ‘average volume’ around 40 hl/ha – unlike the 50 of 2023. Hard in the cuverie in 22, the first cuvées went okay but with the later ones we had to be vigilant with the volatiles and certainly some cuvées where the malos started early. 2023 was easier in that respect. The malos were fast for the whites. All the wines are now bottled and the market is okay for us right now – there seems to be a good dynamic in two parts of France – right now still Beaujolais and also the Loire.”
The wines.
I think this a hyper-fine range of wines – maybe the best I tasted here – every wine that’s not obviously great, still flirts with being great for its label – bravo!
2022 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…
A nose of both width and concentration – nice purity to this darker fruit. Large scale but fresh and energetic – the energy beautifully balances the impressive intensity. Dark finishing flavour, slowly fading. That’s a super wine.
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.’
Higher and lower tones here – extra red freshness and perfume for these top notes. Hmm – this is what I’m looking for – large scale – fluidity that balances the volume and intensity. Just a beautiful, great wine.
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.
Here is a larger aromatic palette – this very impressive and very inviting. Also fluid and of more textural depth too – you can sense the small note from the barrels that were used but this is another great wine – in this case I’d wait 2-3 years, yes 3…
2022 Brouilly La Pente
A little more clay in the soil which can add richness to the wine – maybe the 30 hl/ha adds to that!
A more vertical nose – less width – here with such a depth – you can’t see (smell!) the bottom! Hmm – such a scale of fresh, energetic dark fruit. Juicy, faint framed with grainless tannin. No oak flavour but I’d be waiting a couple of years for this too – the finish is both large and persistent.
70-year-old vines, plenty of water sources in this area. The same vinification and elevage as the last wine.
Broad, fresh, aromatics – dark fruit but like all the previous not over-mature. Another wine that’s just so fluid and juicy – a cascade of flavour – but with impressive intensity again. A fine velour to this texture – great texture – that’s another great wine.
A calmer, more profound nose – there are some glimpses of higher-toned perfume but here it’s tighter – it takes a couple of minutes before it starts to fill the glass – but when it does – yes!! Less hyperactive, mouth-filling, beautifully velour textured – the finish a little more structural but not hard. The finish is super today and the rest of the wine is great.
Les Whites:
2022 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. I harvest when the skins take on a golden colour. All hand harvested, 40hl/ha, 15kg cases…
A wine that seems concentrated and a little mineral but the ripeness of fruit is far from too much. Mouth-filling, there’s a little rigour to this structure but also a mouth-watering ripe citrus all framed with a tiny grain of tannin too. This finishes nicely clean too. Very good wine…
2022 Beaujolais Villages Blanc The Llama de Peru
I have the wood tannin, I have the CO2 and I have the DIAM seal – three attempts to keep this no sulfur wine fresh.
A little less colour but still plenty of lemon yellow. A deep nose, no over-ripe fruit or rigour – there’s a little barrel for sure but it’s not destabilising – more time in the glass and the oak becomes more dominant. Beautiful in the mouth – fluid, clean, with an ultra-fine grain of tannin. A bit too much oak for me – but give this (so sulfur) wine 2-3 years and you will be very, very happy – just have good storage!