Tasted in Chichée with Nathalie Oudin, without bonnet, 08 March 2023.
Domaine Oudin
5, rue du Pont
89800 Chichée
Tel: +33 3 86 42 44 29
www.domaineoudin.com/
More reports with Domaine Oudin
Nathalie on 2022:
“Oh yes very happy – of course, we started with some worries as it was the second year in a row with a lot of frost – the end of the baguettes were completely frosted but the secondary buds were not just fertile they had as many as three grape-clusters – I’ve never seen that before, they had an impressive reserve! But the moment of flowering in 2021 was very good and that is the initiation for the following year. We even had a bit of VCI – a surprise when we aim for 45 hl/ha.”
Nathalie on 2021:
“We made very little – almost not 20 hl/ha. The clients heard and bought up everything in just 6 weeks! Since October we have been taking reservations but have had nothing to sell – currently, we are fighting with excel-tables! Actually, we have been fighting to find bottles too – it’s one thing to consider bottling early but it’s another to find the bottles – at least I had a delivery of capsules for the 2022s today! But the price increase we made in response to the frost has been completely eaten by the increased packaging costs! As for the wines I’m happy that there’s a nice concentration – it was a long harvest as we followed the maturities but in the end we brought in grapes with good homogeneity – there was less consistency after the frost in 2022 as there was a mix of regrowth and not affected – everything was affected here in 2021! I think it’s a good year for the wine – not so good for the wallet!”
The wines…
Another super quality (if not volume) result at this domaine. Good luck trying to find some bottles!
All natural cork – from a real ‘family domaine’ from Spain:
Normally about 12 parcels are assembled here, and this cuvée would typically represent about 65% of the domaine’s production. Bottled in July.
Starting tight but opening in the glass and with very good depth – growing in airy perfume too – nice. Lovely shape in the mouth – open, melting flavour – flavour that grows more and more gorgeous over the palate, faintly floral, far from faintly delicious – that’s a Chablis of great finesse – bravo!
The longer elevage cuvée. Les Serres has a bit darker glass bottle – Nathalie explains, “That’s so you can tell which bottles are which when the labels have succumbed to the damp in your cellar!” This example not yet bottled – but most already is.
A small reduction here – a noble, almost grapefruit, reduction. Clean, incisive direct and finely mineral – ooh – a very different style but a super wine – finesse – the last wine – or chiselled with tension – this wine – different but both great.
2021 Chablis 1er Vaugiraut
Two parcels; one of 65 years, a third in volume, and the other part, 35 years old. Less frosted here.
A broader nose – a hint more chalky mineral but also floral. The flavour is concentrated and like the nose, deeply mineral – an almost muscaté impression this year but what an explosive and hyper-impressive finishing style. Excellent!
1949 planted. A third of the vines of the domaine are massale with and with an average of 50 years of age. Normally there is never frost here – my grandfather had never seen it – but in 21 there was frost!
Many more high tones – some perfume some minerality at the base – beautifully presented – that’s lovely. More direct and a little more intense – the melting flavour is floral-accented – always properly mineral and almost juicy finishing – another great example – bravo – finely chalky finishing!
A slightly smoky reduction is the first note – then growing, an extra saline dimension here. Supple, beautifully melting over the palate – a little herb in this complexity but no outright green notes. Just a beautiful thing over the palate – silky and supple with some but not too much generosity. Ooh – that’s touching on greatness – it’s too easy to forget after tasting the 1ers that this is ‘only’ a village wine.