Tasted at the BIVB Technical Centre in Beaune, 30 May 2018. All the wines were tasted blind, only matching the name to wine a couple of weeks later.
An exercise that puts on show my full confidence in the 2016 vintage – the Côte Chalonnaise has fully delivered on the potential of 2016. There is depth, there is structure and there is drinkability as there’s no lack of balance. Very few wines seem adventurously oaked, and virtually none-existent are the wines that I would not care to sip on a warm summer evening. Chapeau!
I noted one thing missing from my info-pack on the wines as presented, and that’s that the type of seal used by the particular wines wasn’t noted. Whilst less relevant for this subset of wines than for the grand and premier crus of the Côte d’Or, for future tastings such as this, I plan to include that info.
A more golden impression to the fruit flavours of the Rullys, more sherbet and freshness to the Montagnys. The Bouzerons are clearly different with a little more fresh line of flavour – a certain ‘zing.’ My favourite/most impressive wine of this whole tasting was the rather modestly labeled 2016 Faiveley Montagny – grand kudos – a wine that stood out for its classy mineral line and polished sleekness.
57 wines:
Bouzeron
My favourites for drinking today would be the first, followed by the last wine – waiting 6-24+ months for the others would be optimal:
A nose with an appealing freshness, edged with attractive citrus. Direct, mineral, melting with citrus flavour – a wine of super definition and long, engaging complexity – this is a great start!
2016 Maison Chanzy, Les Trois
Here the nose is more compact, with a tighter core of fruit. More overtly mineral, with mouth-watering acidity – there’s a certain rigour to the structure after the first wine, almost but not quite reductive. This is good, but it needs a little more patience vs the directly accessible first wine…
2016 Maison Chanzy, Clos de La Fortune Monopole
A little more open than the last wine – certainly with a more open depth of aroma – but still a little compact. Energy, probably aided by a little CO2, width and concentration of flavour. Little waves of long-finishing flavour. Again a wine that will repay a little patience, but it’s very good…
2016 Bouchard Pere et Fils
A compact but most attractive nose – giving the impression of texture and concentration. Wide, mineral, growing in mouth-watering, mineral complexity. Holding a strong and attractive finishing note. Again a little patience required, but this is super.
This nose is a little more open, with a very faintly reductive, agrume impression to the aromas. A little extra sucrosity and more relaxed form – like the first wine – plenty of volume in the mouth, and slowly leaching, mouth-watering flavours.
Montagny
One of the 1er slipped into this group – it happens when tasting blind – but it wasn’t in my top 2!
2016 Vignerons de Buxy, Bouissonnier
An airy, almost floral nose but one that has depth too. Plenty of gas plus a subtle reduction. Volume, energy and quite good complexity – fresh and tasty with a slight edge of rigour today – very good!
2016 Millebus, Clos de Corbeau
Also a nice airy style to this nose but here with a little more concentration of aroma at the base. More sleek, direct and concentrated – an understated but growing mineral side to the wine. Delicious but wait 1-2 years for the minerality to relax. Lots to love here.
2016 Domaine Les Vignes sous l’Eglise
Still not a full-power nose but the first with a balanced blend of high and low tones – slowly escaping notes of fine purity. A little gas-induced texture before a width of silk. Broad-flavoured and mouth-watering, plenty of minerality, so like the last, wait a year or-so…
2016 Domaine des Vignes Blues, 1er Cru
Again a nose of modest intensity, but here the most interesting complexity so-far. Gas again. Really a mouth-filling volume, with lots of energy and a fine texture. A long, wide wave of finishing flavour for you to ride. This is the wine closest to drinking today, and it’s excellent.
Here’s a nicely open width and freshness of aroma. Oof! Direct, mineral, a wine of narrow but intense line. Almost a chalky minerality. It’s not the easiest of these for drinking today, but I find this combination super as the flavours melt and widen over the palate. A fine finish too. Bravo – but give it a little time to relax in the cellar first!
Tighter at the top but with a width of ripe yellow-fruited bass notes. A mouth-filling wine, of fine, fresh, melting flavour – delicious flavour! Fine, intense, mineral-inflected citrus notes in the finish. I have a very faint preference for the last wine, but this is the pick of the pack for drinking today – a beauty!
Montagny 1er Crus
The sweet-spot of this tasting – an observation in-line with my impression as Montagny 1er being for a few years now the goto label for great wine at modest pricing – in a Burgundy context.
2016 Vignerons de Buxy, Montagny 1er Buissonier
More weight of aroma at the base of this wine. This seems a little warmer than the last wines but has volume (temperature) and a round and complex style. The mid-palate passes me by quite quickly but the finish is long and tasty. Good wine…
2016 Vignerons de Buxy, Montagny 1er Les Coères
A nose of depth, like the last, but it’s not showing much. Plenty of volume again, less round, more insistent and intense flavoured. There’s a little mineral depth to this, a modest rigour, Long. The flavours here, unlike the nose, are quite compelling – excellent!
Ooh, now that’s a super nose – deep, of line, and highly attractive! Fresh, wide, complex, mineral, layered freshness of delivery – a juicy wine. Bravo!
2016 Vignerons de Buxy, Montagny 1er Millebuis
Lots of interesting high tones here – a good volume of aroma. Round, mouth-filling, concentrated wine. Growing in intensity with a modest mineral rigour. Very wide and persistent finishing, perhaps a faint barrel texture in the finish – excellent wine!
2016 Vignerons de Buxy, Montagny 1er Domaine de la Guiche
Good aromatic volume, with a little base in minerality. Lots of volume, the fruit having a slightly strange ripe flavour, but there’s volume, intensity and concentration here. Very well-balanced wine, but I find the flavour odd…
2016 Jean-Marc Vincent, Montagny 1er Cru
Here is more than a modest whiff of vanilla. Fine freshness and intensity – lots of energy too – despite the oak this is absolutely delicious but because of that oak I’m be hard-pressed to separate this from a (more expensive) Pouilly-Fuissé! Excellent wine all the same, I would wait 3 years for the wood to fade…
A deep nose, with a little sweetness. Plenty of volume – juicy, melting flavours with modest minerality and immodest deliciousness – a great finish too. Bravo!
2016 Bouchard Père et Fils, Montagny 1er Cru
Modest top notes but the depth of aroma hints at a faint reduction. Lots of volume again – yes a little reduction but juicy, mouth-watering flavour too. Excellent!
Here is another nose with more depths than heights of aroma but in this case a deep and ripe lemon citrus. Mouth-filling with freshness and energy – juicy flavour again, perhaps a faint gas too. Lemon citrus, mouth-watering, excellent flavour. Bravo – but wait a little for it to calm!
Another nose that betrays some vanilla – but a little less than Jean-Marc Vincent’s wine. Good energy and flavour, partly edged in vanilla – again the Pouilly-Fuissé style – but again delicious, complex wine. Long, mouth-watering flavour. Bravo!
Hmm – a good round nose of freshness and a little minerality in its depth. Mineral for sure, silky, growing energy, concentrated wine. Love this and its melting minerality in the finish. Bravo!
A less forward but still interesting nose with a depth of citrus interest. Sleek, lean, a wine of line and melting flavour. Juicy, but mineral flavoured and long – this needs a little time to unwind but it will be excellent, perhaps great Montagny like the last…
Decent volume and freshness for this nose. Big, incisive, melting its fresh flavour over the palate. Mineral but without rigour, nice structure. This wine will just get better and better with patience – bravo!
2016 Domaine de Montorge, Montagny 1er Les Chaniots
Like the last, a nose of decent volume and freshness but no distinctiveness. Bright, open, fresh and interesting. Just a little softer than some but that’s no critique – open and delicious flavoured, slightly floral and mineral. Excellent!
2016 Chanson Père et Fils, Montagny 1er Cru
A nose that’s open, fresh and shows a little twist of reduction. Impact, very faint gas too. Intense, concentrated flavour that’s very mineral with just a touch of rigour. Subtly long. Very good but top wait for.
2016 Stephane Aladame, Montagny 1er Les Coères
Open aromas with plenty of volume – a mix of faint citrus and more forward mineral notes. Some distracting oak here, but the texture is good and there’s a cool minerality to this wine too. Long and fine in the finish. Wait for the oak to fade, but this has super potential.
2016 Stephane Aladame, Montagny 1er Les Vignes Derrières
A modest intensity but still very attractive nose with a nice depth of aroma. Mouth-filling shape, mineral but tasty and with long, long delicious finishing flavour. This is super.
2016 Stephane Aladame, Montagny 1er Vieilles-Vignes
A little extra colour. A vibrant nose, very fruity – citrus plus pear. Fresh in the mouth, with a similar combination of fresh fruit to the nose. A little mid-palate cushioning to the texture. Different to most but a very tasty wine today!
2016 Feuillat-Juillot, Montagny 1er Les Grappes d’Or
A faint yeastiness to the top notes but an interesting depth of fresh fruit. A little like the last there’s some pear fruit here, but this I find more vibrant and interesting, particularly with its fine blending with the minerality and faintly, but long, mouth-watering finish – this is excellent wine!
2016 Feuillat-Juillot, Montagny 1er Les Coères
A composed nose with a depth of ripe fruit but more modest freshness above. Plenty of gas, but even waiting for that to fade, it’s clear that there is plenty of mouth-filling volume here, and a slowly melting, mouth-watering flavour too. Concentrated and, eventually, nicely textured wine. I can see why the gas is there as it’s just a little less energetic than some, but it’s an excellent, long-finishing, concentrated wine all the same.
Rully
2016 Louis Max, Rully Les Plantenays
A modest width of aroma, but not much depth. Mouth-filling, fresh, delicious with a touch of barrel but a fine line and intensity. The nose doesn’t say much, but the wine itself is very eloquent despite being a little oaky. Yum!
2016 Roux Père et Fils, Rully Mollepierre
Also a nose of modest volume, though showing a little struck-match. Fresh, direct, more intense and rather mineral too. A wine with good length and much more academic interest if less deliciousness than the last – today…
2016 Jaffelin, Rully
Like the previous two, very modest in aromatic volume but with some interest. Gas, width and some energy too. The fruit is concentrated, intense and long. Impressive and balanced but not particularly friendly today – give it a little time.
Good depth of fresh, ripe aroma here. A little gas and lots of fresh energy – lots of complexity too. This is a very forward but balanced and interesting wine – with just a modest finishing touch of oak. Simply an excellent villages – bravo!
Hmm, this is the first nose with fresh fruit complexity – nice. Not the biggest wine but a wine full of fresh, mineral, intensity and layers of fruit too. Be a little patient with this but it’s super. Great finishing. Bravo!
2016 Jean Chartron, Rully Montmorin
A nose that’s similar to the last but showing more width. More direct, less directly sweet. Mineral but without rigour. The finish has a fine mouth-watering, almost juicy aspect. Excellent wine!
2016 Champy, Rully
More depth of ripe pear aroma. In the mouth there’s direction and energy – despite the ripe fruit on the nose this is fresh, and with a few extra layers of finishing flavour too. Wait a few months before attacking but this is very rewarding wine!
2016 Chateau de Mercey (Rodet), Rully Saint Jacques
A nose of depth, concentration, though perhaps a little stewed fruit. Gas, then energy. The concentration is more like a 1er cru – long mouth-watering flavour too. It’s a little bulky but it’s also a lot of fun!
2016 Chanzy, Rully En Rosey
Plenty of aromatic width here, faintly herbed. A background of herb to the flavour, but still there’s energy and concentration here – not to mention a very good finish too.
2016 Erell Ninot, Rully La Barre
Another wine with a nice width of aroma – faint citrus interest here. Supple with a depth of concentration and associated texture. The first wine in this series with a little salinity augmenting the fruit. Nice wine…
A modest volume yet it’s still an attractive nose. Freshness, direct, fine intensity and layers of flavour. This is excellent, with little waves of finishing flavour. Bravo!
Modest top notes but a nice clean depth of aroma. Gas. Very nice intensity to the fine citrus-infused flavour – a bright extra burst of flavour into the finish too – like a 1er cru. Lovely wine! Bravo.
2016 Michel Briday, Rully
Some aromatic depth but nothing of particular interest. Hmm, not the largest in the mouth but this has a very fine combination of concentration and intensity – the texture is excellent too. The flavour holds onto your gums only slowly fading in a ripe citrus finish. Excellent!
2016 Chanson Père et Fils, Rully
Hmm – again far from the biggest nose but here is an attractive, cushioned, width of aroma. Mineral, reductive, but with good texture. The wine slowly leaves you salivating in the finish. Fine and worthy. Tasty wine…
2016 Faiveley, Rully Les Villeranges
An appealing width of aroma but with more limited depth. Lovely in the mouth with a combination of volume and energy, but never becoming painfully intense. Articulate, pretty finishing flavour too. Easy, delicious and excellent!
2016 Debavelaere, Rully Les Cailloux
A modest but fresh and interesting nose. The acidity here has a faint sour character, but given the weight and intensity of the flavour that’s on display, that’s not so bad. There is a long line finishing flavour too. Very good…
Rully 1er Cru
2016 Helene Jaeger-Defaix, Rully 1er Mont Palais
A good width of ripe but fresh fruit here. Directly more intensity, and a vibration of flavour moving into the finish. Excellent wine.
2016 Helene Jaeger-Defaix, Rully 1er Cloux
A decent volume of aroma but nothing particular for me to get my hooks into… Direct, fresh, lots of intensity – there’s what I would describe as a golden intensity to the fruit flavours of these wines. Long and fine. Excellent.
5. 2016 Helene Jaeger-Defaix, Rully 1er Rabourcé
Depth and a little more complexity of fruit interest on the aromatics of this one. Les incisive intensity, but round with a growing crescendo of balanced flavour delivery. Long, mouth-watering flavour in the finish – another (consistently!) excellent wine.
2016 Domaine de la Folie, Rully 1er Clos St.Jacques
Modest top notes but with a tight core of ripe fruit at its base. Another wine with some gas-derived texture to start, a little more stewed fruit but with a balanced and fresh delivery. Long, and concentrated in the finish. Very long!
2016 Joseph Drouhin, Rully 1er Cru
A little more impression of top notes on this nose – compact and concentrated below. Lots of fresh width here, and the most overtly mineral in flavour too – so-far. Long, mouth-watering flavours. There is rigour rather than pleasure here today – but the latter will come because this is excellent!
A different aromatic to the others – open and forward ripe fresh-fruited top notes with plenty of depth too. Lots of fresh intensity here, almost stewed fruit – but narrowly avoiding. Concentrated, layered fruit – almost but not quite too much. Bravo – but treading a fine line as it’s a close to being a caricature!
2016 Chateau de Mercey (Rodet), Rully 1er La Bressande
Lots of interest here, a certain, guarded concentration at the core of this. Round but with bubblingly fresh energy. The fruit is ripe – towards pear – but never with the impression that it’s out of place. A fine wine!
2016 Erell Ninot, Rully 1er Grésigny
Another wine that starts narrow above but broadens as you reach the base aromas. Hmm. There’s a nice drive to the flavours here – mouth-watering and intense flavour. Long, modestly mineral, almost the impression of a little tannin to the texture too. Excellent wine.
2016 Michel Briday, Rully 1er La Pucelle
A deep nose and one of interest too with it’s ripe but interesting notes. Volume and energy, mouth-watering intensity of flavour too. Really many dimensions of finishing flavour. Simply outstanding in almost all directions…
2016 Michel Briday, Rully 1er Grésigny
A compact but deep and inviting nose. Not the most volume but a layered and indeed vibrant palate of flavour and growing width. Like a few others there’s the impression of a little tannin to the finishing texture.