Tasted in Volnay with Patrick Landanger and Hubert Rossignol, 24 May 2017.
Domaine de la Pousse d’Or
8 Rue de la Chapelle
21190 Volnay
Tel: +33 3 80 21 24 03
www.lapoussedor.fr
I have to say that these days, I’m much more at home with style of wines chez Pousse d’Or – the toasty oak aromatics are on a much more subtle level, allowing the wines and terroirs their head. Patrick commenting that “We are slowly using less oak, now its about 30% new – a blend of Seguin-Moreau and François.” Really fine wines here now – and one of the wines tasted on this visit, was perhaps one of the best wines I’ve tasted all year! How’s that for a change?! And in this case, it never saw the inside of a barrel!
According to Patrick “The market is good, almost 90% of production is exported from the domaine, but effectively with half harvests in the last years, there isn’t enough wine – I must keep saying ‘no!’”
The wines…
A GREAT range in 2015!
Some 2016s to start with – only half a harvest at the domaine due to the frost. The 60 Ouvrées shows a really a beautiful floral aroma. The Chambolle-Musigny 1er Feuselottes is even better – a wow nose! More volume and expression. Bravo – I hardly need to taste – but actually this tastes fab too!
Then from the amphore – 9 amphoras of 800 litres, three wines – 2016 Clos de la Bousse d’Or – no oak here, of-course. Dark, pointed fruit – delicious but different – layered, muscled, really a wine of exuberant fruit and modest tannin. 2016 Clos 60 Ouvrées offers a more mixed nose of fine fruit but a little malo aroma too. Finer and more direct in the mouth. Beautiful line and texture – clearly ‘wow’ wine here. Finally the 2016 Volnay Caillerets which has a little less aromatic impact but much more aromatic clarity – it’s simply beautiful. Layered, multi-dimensional, a little lick more of tannin. GREAT potential!
These wines in amphore receive only a hint of SO2 at bottling – nothing before! The amphore has an oxygen exchange like a new barrel, but avoids, of-course, the additional wood tannin. “It’s 100% from the grapes” says Patrick. The label is (possibly too) similar to standard wine, it is just marked ‘vinified and elevage in amphore’ on the back label. Hubert notes that “We see much more change with the lunar calendar than with the same wine made in barrel.”
For the 2015s, it was, again, a small volume vintage, but with small millerandes so “Qualitatively it’s not a worry at all.” Normally the wines of this estate are 100% destemmed, but about 10% of the stems were retained in 2015.
2015 Clos de la Bousse d’Or
Medium plus colour. Wide, vibrant, beautiful Volnay aroma – no obvious oak. In the mouth there is some oak flavour – it’s adding to the complexity – but don’t drink it young but it’s a modest vanilla not a Bordeaux toast. Layered and just fabulously delicious – wait 3-4 years before starting.
Medium-plus colour. A fabulous, multi-dimensional nose – with weight too. A little more direct, cushioned by very fine tannin – here you really can’t see the oak – layers, fine energy – bravo!
This was the first amphora test.
Delicate, pure, beautiful aroma. Direct, pure fruited, a base with plenty of tannin, powerful, layered, mouth-watering – you know I could go on and on! Exceptional!
2015 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Charmes
A more muscled, dark fruited and flowers nose. More strict and direct, again muscle but freshness and mouth-watering too, finishing a hint saline and very, very long. Super.
A wine of simply beautiful aromatic depth – bravo. Lots of volume, slowly growing further, a halo of tannin, but micro-grained and not astringent. There’s a flexing of structural muscle here, then a burst of very fine flavour – bravo again! Just the merest suggestion of oak in the finish. Super wine.
A gelée dark fruit nose of much more limited width after the Clos de la Roche but impressive depth. Slowly adding delicate flowers too – a nose that keeps getting better and better! Supple, concentrated, with great line, just a little oak mixing with the flavour – but very modestly so. Fabulous texture here. Bravo!