Tasted in the Haut du Bois de Leynes with David Devynck, 29 March 2023.
Domaine Clos Sauvage
Haut du Bois de Leynes
71570 Leynes
Tel: +33 7 89 47 33 04
www.clossauvage.com
David Devynck and his wife Sophie have been here since 2019. They had worked on farms and in vineyards – 8 years in the Gaillac working all organic – also working with Stephan Derencourt – it was a choice, there were no family connections to winemaking.
“We did a year of ‘Tour de France’ to try to find a place that appealed to start our own domaine – here at altitude in the north of Beaujolais with good white wine areas close by – now with 6 hectares in production – we found our place.”
The domaine is producing Beaujolais Villages and St.Amour plus whites form ‘over the border in Burgundy.’
On the recent vintages:
“2021 was frosted 80% – not good with a small family – it reinforced a wish to be more of a polyculture enterprise here than only going forward with vines. 2022 for us was another small vintage – 35 hl/ha – plenty of grapes but not much juice – but such concentrated juice!”
This domaine and its buildings was owned by a part of the Loron family but for many years it was a succession of people who rented the vines and all slowly fell into a poor state of repair – it was because of this that David and Sophie were able to acquire it. They have 6 hectares in action now – there was 7 hectares that came with the domaine but they pulled out 5 – keeping the most productive 2.
About 60% of their sales are in France…
The wines…
A first visit and a young domaine – but what great reds they produced in 2022!
To be bottled in 2 weeks – vines around the house, quite granitic and sandy but heavier soil than you would find in Fleurie. Small cases for harvesting – refrigerated room then a few days of cool maceration then, depending on the vintage, some pigeage for 2-3 days – the grapes having been 70% destemmed and layered in the fermentation tank – destemmed and not destemmed. Much barrel elevage but older 400-litre barrels. ‘The 22s are more opulent than we made in 21…’
Broad and incisive nose – that’s lovely. Full, generously fruited – but fresh fruit, dark fruit – delicious wine with lots and lots of flavour dimension – fine finishing and more mineral here too – great BJV!
Vines near Pirolette – this won’t be bottled until later.
A hyper attractive nose, cushioned and of velour – precision of dark fruit but still with a sizzle of energy that’s gorgeous. Extra intensity, faintly tannic – but practically no grain. An equally gorgeous finish – that’s another great wine. A slight lick of finishing salinity. Great St.Amour too!
Les Whites:
2022 Bourgogne Blanc
Vines next to the house – plenty of granite in the lower slope some limestone in the higher part. One-third tank elevage.
Very aromatic, floral faintly herbed complexity. Direct, mineral, faintly tannic – nice energy. Concentrated wine. The finish is good – a little rigour in the middle flavours – very good.
22 St.Véran Canopé
This has a very attractive nose – ripe but vibrant fruit. More clarity in this width, less rigour but still some classy structure here. Faint barrel flavours heading into the finish.
2022 St.Véran l’Effet
From Bois de Fee – this won’t be bottled for a few months – much more limestone here – classic red clay too – higher altitude on the border of Leynes and Fuissé.
Deeper, more obvious barrel notes. Still gassy – wide, nicely intense and direct – nice shape but too young to be making a long description – the finish is obviously longer…
2022 Vin Petillant
Method ancestrale – not allowed to write that – but it is so… And the grapes? Mosac – a Gaillac cepage
A calm but broad nose – complexities in the depth – nice. Hmm – nice, aromatic, and floral flavours – never heavy – almost contemplative – but engrossing and complex – I love!