Tasted in Morey with Florian Remy + Simba, 14 May 2018.
Domaine Chantal Remy
1, place du Monument
21220 Morey-Saint-Denis
Tel: +33 (0)3 80 34 32 59
www.domaine-chantal-remy.com
Link to Latricières-Chambertin profile
The Remy family are perhaps the most iconic owners of Latricières, if only for the large stone gate towards the northern end of the vineyard – a portal that bears their name. The Riembault, Riembault-Rodier family were based in Gevrey-Chambertin, though since their heyday of owning everything from the current Leroy vines to the northern limit of the vineyard – almost 2 hectares of vines – only 0.28 hectares of vines remain in the Remy family. The most recent sale was in 2008 to Domaine François Feuillet/David Duband, leaving just 13 rows of vines now in the Remy family – 0.28 hectares. Florian Remy explains “Yes, we had about a 10 barrel production before the vines were sold to David Duband, but two uncles wanted to cash in their shares so we had no choice. We chose to keep the vines that were directly in front of the stone portal, though the first row of Domaine Simon Bize is already directly in-line with the northern post of the portal.”
There are three branches of the Remy family; Louis Remy is the line of the current Domaine Chantal Remy – Florian’s mother – but it was the line of Domaine Henri Remy that sold their estate to Leroy. A third branch of the family were the owners of the remaining, northern end, of Latricières – once all worked by Domaine Ponsot (between 1960 and 1994) – however, the Remys slowly sold off the pieces which are now exploited by the domaines of Simon Bize, Duroché and Launay-Horiot. In Laurent Ponsot’s final 1994 vintage, he declassified all his production to Gevrey-Chambertin 1er cru as he wasn’t happy with the quality vintage. Laurent recollects that he replanted about one-third of the vines in this section in 1982. I also have the impression that he regrets that the Ponsots could not buy the vines at that time “My grandfather had a close relationship with Bernard Remy’s family, that’s how my father got the opportunity to rent their vines. Circumstances where such in the 1990’s that we could not purchase their Latricières, but we bought their Clos de la Roche instead… I’m sad for one and happy for the other!”
On the subject of the stone entrance portal into the vineyard, it was erected in 1820, and was built before the one that bears the family name in the Clos de la Roche. It’s at this domaine where they retain old legal documents, dated 1794, that name the vineyard as Aux Attricières. There are rose-bushes planted at the start of the slope in Remy’s section, Florian saying that the roses show mildew and oïdium before the vines. “In the vines we have some repicage, but the majority of the vines date from the 1950s and 1960s. We’ve made some soil analysis, as we find that the vines can become tired quite quickly here – the analysis saying that we have about 25% stones, small stones. I’m not really sure of the depth of the soil, we never hit the rock, but there’s probably still less than 30cm.
“The wine from Latricières is like a walk in the forest after rain – for that its one of my favourite wines. It’s just perfect for mushroom dishes, rabbit – almost anything ‘wild’ goes great with Latricières. I think the 1997 is starting to go downhill, but the 1996 and 1998 are super – particularly the 1996. 2000 was a bit of a restaurant vintage but it’s also super right now…“
Florian agrees that this is a later-harvesting area “Yes, it’s as much as 1.5 weeks later. It’s important to take your time, but we also harvest our Chambertin on the same day; first it’s the Chambertin, then we make our casse croute and then we move onto Latricières. Clos de la Roche is the first grand cru we harvest.”
The wines…
There is a little négoce production at the domaine now – Bourgogne, Gevrey-Chambertin and Morey 1er Clos des Ormes – “As we can’t just sell grand crus! These 2016s will be bottled at the end of May, maybe into June, but currently they are still in barrel. We had only 1.5 barrels of Latricières due to the frost in 2016 – it should be 5 – even worse, there was no Chambertin! Well we did actually manage to assemble 3 cases of fruit, but as there was so little, it went into the Latricières! But I find 2016 a really interesting vintage because there’s acidity like the 2008s but with more ripeness.
“My grandmother didn’t invest, but we make some updates each year now – a triage and vibrating table since 2012 and we’re refurbishing the cuverie too.”
2016 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Seuvrées
Of-course from vines next to Morey – we did all work from August onwards
Ooh, a lovely nose, pure red, sweet and fresh. Round, juicy, layers of bright flavour, long. This is a super wine with a stony finishing flavour. It will be excellent.
2016 Morey St.Denis 1er Clos des Ormes
A deeper nose, still fresh and with a classic, floral and almond that I associate with this climat. More mineral but equally sweet fruit, layered in delivery. Really a fine finishing concentration, stone fruit in the finish again. Excellent!
Planted in 2000, in 2015 they put an application into the INAO for upgrade to 1er cru.
Ooh, that’s a very complex nose, marzipan and red fruit – very perfumed. More line and freshness than the Clos des Ormes – it’s a direct wine with a beautiful floral fruit. It’s a new barrel but you wouldn’t know – ‘Yes it helps the length, but not the width or aromas – I’m very happy with these Chassin barrels!‘ Really showing it’s class, clearly aa notch better than the Clos des Ormes!
2016 Clos de la Roche
An extra depth and texture to the nose, red fruit again. Round, mouth-filling, but fresh and mineral too with mouth-watering flavour. There is rigour in the finish, a mineral rigour – super wine with a brilliant length.
A couple pf cases of whole clusters on this vintage – about 10% – and of-course 20% Chambertin in this vintage too!
A beautiful, slightly floral width of aroma. Incisive, beautiful clarity, mineral and radiating with flavour – such a beautiful rigour here and it’s long like the last – i.e. impressively long. This is simply a great Latricières, it’s just such a shame that there’s so little of it!
2014 Latricières-Chambertin
This was Florian’s first full vintage making the wine, he started working with his mum in 2011.
A less open nose after the 2016 extravaganza, but the width of aroma is very similar plus almost a slight smoky and faintly creamy element. Wide, mineral wine, ingraining into the palate, faintly plush texture, beautiful floral mineral complexity – a hint of barrel too – very long again… A super wine…
2006 Latricières-Chambertin
‘This is my mum’s wine.’
A deeper nose and rounder too but with plenty of ripe fruit, if only very faintly floral with some suggestion of sous bois – also faintly oxidative. A wine of volume but good transparancy, almost a minty edge to this mineral mouth-watering openness. Long on a pure mineral note, very long indeed.