Tasted in Gevrey with Chantal Tortochot, 21 April 2023.
Domaine Tortochot
12 Rue de l’Église
21220 Gevrey-Chambertin
Tel: +33 3 80 34 30 68
www.tortochot.com
More reports with Domaine Tortochot
Chantal on the 2022:
“I’m happy with 2022. We were helped by the big rain in June which got us through the rest of the dry weeks that followed!”
Chantal on the 2021:
“Since July last year we started bottling the 2021s, finishing with the grand crus in March. What a vintage! The winter, then came the black frost came after much warmer weather and because it visited us on three consecutive nights of cold and damp – the damage was done – the only really effective way to guard against the frost seems to be with later pruning and tying-down the branches much later – but it’s hard with our maximum 36 hours per week of work to do the extra amount of work needed to finish late! I say late but my father always used to finish in March – we finish in February today but we are doing a (later) second prune – we leave 10 ‘eyes’ on the cane before returning to cut to the last 4 when we attach the canes to the wires. But 2021 was still a case of more than 40% losses – I made double in 2022! – but still only just over 40 hl/ha. 2017 was our last ‘correct’ volume. 2021 was a year with not much sun versus those vinatges that surround it but it was still ripe – we’ve gained 2 degrees in 30 years – since the time of my father – that’s why you no-longer find the sacks of sugar in the supermarkets!”
The wines…
The domaine has used plenty of new oak in 2021 – but it’s been beautifully integrated – I don’t mention it in the notes if it doesn’t ‘stick out!’ I’ve not often visited this domaine because I’ve usually been disappointed with the pre-bottled wines – versus post-bottled where I’ve really liked them. So I visited later with, as you can see, positive results!
2021 Bourgogne Pinot Noir
In Gevrey’s Grand Champs and organic since 2013 ‘The same soil as and subsoil as the surrounding villages-rated plots.’
Medium colour. Fresh, slightly cushioned red fruit. Good width, with a red fruit intensity the finish is direct and fresh.
2021 Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles-Vignes
About 10 different parcels – on the flats on the other side of the route nationale – but 70% losses vs the usual production here.
Red fruit again, faintly spiced. The panorama of flavours is impressive – red fruit with a faint gentian accent but also a vibrancy of mouthwatering finishing energy.
2021 Gevrey-Chambertin Champerrier Vieilles-Vignes
A more cushioned red fruit nose. In the mouth there’s a fuller, more cushioned shape too – always red fruit, a slight but attractive finishing bitters note too.
2021 Morey St.Denis 1er Aux Charmes
Fine, delicate red fruit a certain shyness but still direct and becoming perfumed. Generous flavour again, framed with a fine, ripe tannin – that’s a delicious wine – lovely!
2021 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Lavaux St.Jacques
A parcel low on the hillside – ‘it’s still a cold place with the wind from the Combe’
A cool but very pure red fruit width. Ooh – athletic muscle, fluid, good concentration – great texture – that’s a simply excellent wine!
2021 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Champaux
The most northern of the Gevrey 1ers – there’s more clay here.
An extra, more fleshy ripeness to this red fruit – still with a fine clarity of fruit and some perfume too. There’s salinity too – ‘yes that’s from the stems.’ That’s a wine that I’d wait a short time to balance out but it’s energetically delicious and really complex!
2021 Charmes-Chambertin
60 year-old vines. From Charmes…
Ooh – that’s very perfumed – faintly of roses – lovely. There’s a faint grain of tannin framing the flavours but the core is vivid and has a little generosity about it. To keep 5 years but I’m sure it will be open, beautifully.
2021 Mazis-Chambertin
From the bottom – there’s a plaque with the domaine’s name on it there… 80% new oak.
The nose is showing a hint of its oak spice but nothing more of the barrel – the air combines to lift perfume from the glass. More structural – but the flavour melts over the plate – I’d happily carafe this today and enjoy. A really lovely, suble finish but oh-so long…