Tasted in Fleys with Lucie Thieblemont & Charly Nicolle, 09 March 2023.
Domaine Charly Nicolle
17, rue des Près Giraud
89800 Fleys
Tel: +33 3 86 42 80 08
www.chablis-charlynicolle.com
More reports with Domaine Charly Nicolle
Charly on the 2022:
“Yes we are happy – of course the volume was more than the 25% we did in 2021! It was a vintage that was closer to the normal – we were frosted again and some parts remained with low yields but the rest was acceptable.”
Charly on the 2021:
“Okay, I exaggerate! It was a bit more than 25% but not by much! We cheer today when the cold is forecast in March! We are much later in pruning now – it’s nothing that’s been invented – we are back to the 1960s in that respect. As for the wines, we are never content and I was worried from the start, but for the purists I think it’s turned out very well.”
The wines…
A pleasure in 2021 – and the entry wines are not just bargains – they are great and worth a special search!
Everything now sealed with DIAM:
From Molesmes. ‘We’re not far from Epineuil – but the soils is very different and much steeper – it’s obviously a white wine soil with some Kimmerigian – it’s the Côte de Butteau here.’
A pretty width of freshness. Direct and pure, a slightly ripe yellow citrus. Juicy, excellent wine. Beautifully perfumed in the finish. Top – under €12 too!
From plateau above Fleys and Chichée. The only PC in Fleys, it’s surrounded by Chablis and was declassified from Chablis a few years ago – some red clay here.
Starting larger with a hint of salinity. The minerality is more evident and melting in fine style – Vibrant, excellent, then floral-perfumed finishing. A great PC.
Usually about 12 hectares are represented by this wine. An assembly of hillside vines between Fourneaux and Mont de Milieu – together with vines from Beru – multiple vine ages included.
More direct – in the mouth too – growing in intensity – a suggestion of strict but not too much. Again with a lovely floral perfume in the finishing flavour at least excellent – wide and fine textured at the end – and growing larger too – maybe a great villages too.
2021 Chablis Ante MCMLXXX
The name is Charly’s 1980 birthdate, but the (parcel selection) vines are older than that vintage. Vines of 40-60-years-old – from Fleys, Beru and Chichée
Deeper, slightly reductive I think, more green citrus. Properly direct – yes a citrus that’s shaded towards lime. Growing juicily from the core and widening – some great wines here this year!
2021 Chablis 1er Les Fourneaux
Two parcels overlooking the village of Fleys – directly opposite the winery with yellow clay soil – steep, south-facing, and very warm in the summer. Vine ages between 20 and 50-years-old. Here a tank sample…
Broader, yellower fruit, a little rounder aromas too. Broad in the mouth – a little more architectural shaped. Supple, almost fluid finishing flavours – growing wide again in the finish, persistent, beautiful wine.
2021 Chablis 1er Mont de Milieu
Also direct south-facing with less clay than Fourneaux but with more limestone. The domaine’s oldest vines are here, ‘but we don’t have a separate VV cuvée, as it’s all old vines here – they are nearly all older than me!’ 55-68-years-old.
A more airy and finely complex nose. In the mouth it’s more direct – a small vibration of finishing flavour and it just keeps changing in mouth-watering style – lovely.
2021 Chablis Bougros
Not the widest nose – but one with a fine vibration of aroma. Also quite a direct and brooding GC – here’s a wine to carafe or have more patience with – it finishes clean and saline and very broad. Super freshness – and super long. Carafe or wait 5 years – super wine again.