Tasted with Laetitia and Jean-Michel Drouhin, 30 April 2021.
Domaine des Gerbeaux
Les Gerbeaux
71960 Solutré-Pouilly
Tel: +33 3 85 35 80 17
www.domainedesgerbeaux.com
Domaine des Gerbeaux dates back to 1896 when, Jacques Charvet, the great-grandfather of the current owners created his exploitation. Jacques had two daughters – one of whom married a Drouhin from Bussières. The domaine is now managed, since 1979, by Jean-Michel and Béatrice Drouin and their two children Xavier and Laetitia, who are already the 5th generation. Domaine bottling started here in 1988, the generations before being vignerons but selling their produce as grapes. Today they cultivate 16 hectares of vines that are spread over the appellations of Pouilly-Fuissé, Saint Véran and Mâcon-Solutré – around 40 different parcels that include 7 different Pouilly-Fuissé – 4 which are now 1er crus – a St.Véran and a Mâcon-Solutré. “My grandfather is still vinifying with my father,” says Laetitia “They are retired but it’s still what they love to do…”
In the vines the general approach is raisonée, ‘though we are effectively organic – we previously used a machine but now a manual harvest for all the bottled wines we sell.‘ A machine is still used for the parts that they sell in bulk. Here is a domaine that exports 90% of their production, with roughly 80,000 bottles produced under the domaine name each year.
I also tasted a couple of recently bottled 2020s here, Jean-Michel comments on the vintage: “2020 was a good volume of vintage – unlike 19 where we had some frost and then poor weather during the time of flowering.”
The wines…
I tasted only about half the range of wines here but was impressed by the quality – okay 2019 and 2020 are not the worst vintages to taste! Another domaine that’s amply worth returning to!
DIAM Origine is used to seal the wines here:
2019 Pouilly-Fuissé ‘Jacques Charvet‘
The cuvée name for the great grandfather – old vines planted by him which are now around 100-years-old – at least 60% of these are still remaining. Demi-muids elevage – 300-600 litre.
That’s a fresh wine – a hint of salinity too, greener citrus fruit style. Round, rich, but melting with very good flavour – the texture is super. Very long finishing. I’d like a bit more energy but there’s no complaining about how tasty this wine is!
This is a 1er cru in 2020 – all new oak used for this wine.
A small nose but a more inviting nose – a little extra freshness. A big wine here, growing in intensity – but there’s more than enough energy to match, some bitters to the fruit – citrus skin – but this is a wine that makes a great impression. Only in the finish is the oak showing just a little – very long but quite subtle – a more airy finish after the attack of the first flavours. That’s a great Pouilly!
This not long in bottle.
A bright nose, with a freshness of greener citrus fruit. I love the energy here – this wine is open and showing plenty of concentration. The intensity is growing and growing after you swallow – I have to say, great Mâcon – even if Solutré should be far from average!
2020 Pouilly-Fuissé Vieilles-Vignes
Old vines but the ‘entry’ PF at this domaine. 60-70-year-old vines, in bottle for a month – done a little earlier than most years as the 19s are all sold! All barrel but not much more than 10% is new.
A nose of mineral width, hardly any barrel to see. Mouth-filling, detailed, finely complex, there’s a lovely growing width to this flavour. Even more so in the finish – so wide, so persistent, so delicious. That’s a super finish. More than excellent wine.
There is one response to “des Gerbeaux – 2019”
Have been importing Jean-Michel Drouin’s wines (Domaine des Gerbeaux) for over 20 years. They are consistently fine, offering very good quality (sometimes excellent) and real value. The P-F ‘Vers Cras’ is classy
Conor Richardson, Burgundy Direct Wines (Dublin)