Tasted in Gevrey-Chambertin with Guillaume Berthier, 28 April 2021.
Domaine Henri Richard
75 Route de Beaune
21220 Gevrey-Chambertin
Tel: +33 9 62 08 00 17
www.domainehenririchard.com
More reports with Domaine Henri Richard
I’ve followed the wines from here since the 2013 vintage but latterly via the Roi Chambertin tasting rather than actually visiting. Given the lack of a Roi Chambertin last year I took the opportunity to pay a visit.
The domaine has updated and extended their cuverie since I was last there in 2015.
First I asked how the frost was for the domaine in Gevrey: “Our Charmes is always a little late so it wasn’t touched by this year’s frost but the earlier vines were badly hit and some certainly have 80% losses – or that seems to be the case right now.”
“Guillaume on 2019:
2019 is a sunny vintage with a bit higher alcohols than usual but there’s a nice material to the vines. I think they are less dense, finer, than the 2018s for instance but we like them a lot – we are in a run of many fine vintages in 2000s… Comparing our Mazoyères-Chambertin; in 2017 this was the one that drank the best young, in 2018 it was the Charmes. I think the 2019s directly more drinkable young than the 2018s – which are only just starting to soften now…”
The wines…
Wines that reflect their makers love of whole-clusters but delivered in delicious, elegantly perfumed packages though have no lack of concentration. This remains an under-reported but delicious source of high-quality Gevrey-Chambertin.
All the wines had been in bottle for about 2 weeks when I visited:
2019 Côte de Nuits Villages Blanc
All pinot blanc from Brochon.
Some ripe yellow citrus here – but very attractive. Vibrant, with depth of flavour coupled with lots of energy – growing a little mineral and saline – this is lovely – and it’s all pinot blanc! Yum!
2019 Gevrey-Chambertin Aux Corvées
Vines next to their neighbours, Domaine Henri Rebourseau. The domaine’s 2 hectares of Gevrey Aux Corvées has different vine ages, so two cuvées are produced from that, this and their Tuilièries
A width of textural, not quite smoky but clearly whole-cluster perfume. I like the feel and shape of this in the mouth – lots of volume but also a clarity of fine flavour that’s cut by a mouth-watering minerality – extra intense in the middle to finishing flavours. A texture from the tannin sticks to the gums – but no grain and hardly astringent. Very long – this will be really excellent age 5-10…
This cuvée exists since 2013 and reflects the old name of the house. It’s made from vines of one soil type which has a high component of millerandes. Planted in 1980s.
Here there’s extra freshness to the wc perfume – suffused with floral and fruit references – that’s really super – a great invitation. Extra freshness and width, the same energy. A little more structural towards the finish. For keeping longer yet – with an extra purity that means it will also offer more joy young – a great combination!
2019 Charmes-Chambertin
About one hectare of vines for this and the following but with two very different soil types and multiple planting ages – 1921 the oldest vines – from 7 different parcels.
A very different style – deeper aromatics – almost smoky from the stems, vibrant below but less open above. Extra sweetness – completely mouth-filling – the tannin present but without grain. A super intensity of finishing flavour – that’s incredibly impressive but not really a wine for drinking today – such a persistent finish – bravo here – and an excellent cellar candidate!
2019 Mazoyères-Chambertin
That’s an impressively different aroma – a distinct white pepper note – behind a freshness – less overtly smoky but still a perfumed whole cluster note. An extra vibration of of energy here – a wine filled with perfume – the modest austerity of the Charmes is hardly visible here – this is a grand cru you could keep or drink now. Sustaining here too, a great finish, slightly textured with he tannin but again no grain – super persistent – such an excellent wine!
Cremant de Bourgogne
Made since 2014; aligoté and pinot blanc also 50:50 a mix of older base wine and the wine of the vintage. Brut – no dosage. This particular bottle the blend of 2014/2015 base wines – not made every year – probably every second year – 36 months of elevage.
A sweetness of aroma – with a small prickle of bubbles – the flavour slowly going deeper – quite pure and ripe. Mouth-filling, layered, a mineral flavour but mixed with more floral references – which become stronger as you head into the finish. Concentrated finishing flavour but still with some lightness of touch. That’s a delicious crémant!
