Tasted in Corgoloin with Vincent Bottreau, 26 May 2021.
Domaine D’Ardhuy
Clos Langres
21700 Corgoloin
Tel: +33 3 80 62 98 73
www.ardhuy.com
Other reports for Domaine d’Ardhuy.
Vincent on the domaine’s markets:
“Sales are actually in good shape here. We’re 5th biggest here on the hill of Corton, or so, after Bonneau de Martray and are really working on our presence in the market. We’re replanting vines too – 0.4 ha on the hill – so the timing of the frost was definitely unhelpful. The first time the domaine had used candles was in 2019 – and they were of less use in 2021 – essentially it’s the whites with the majority of losses but also in Savigny too.”
Vincent on 2019:
“If 2018 was generous, 2019 was much less so. Some compensation, perhaps, that with the frost we still managed a little over 30 hl/ha, which is not too bad for the reds but we had the same for the whites, which is only about 65% of a proper harvest. The degrees are quite high – 13-13.5° sometimes higher. The acidities were good – mainly from the tartaric acidity but vinifications went quite well – we’re very happy. It was a fantastic phenolic maturity this vintage really allowing us to not overwork the wines in vinification – and not too low in terms of volume… 2020 was more complicated in the reds than 2019 but the white malos took their time. October-November bottling is normal for here but the wines weren’t ready this time so it was a later bottling for us.”
Now all the 2019s are HVE certified; the domaiune is on the route back towards organic certification…
The wines…
I really respected the quality of the reds but apart from the ‘Clous’ only fell head-over-heels in love with the Cortons – but then came the whites – what a great range in 2019!
New, all the wines now use the bottles that were previously used for their grand crus. Ndtech corks from Trescases and some DIAM are used together with an inert atmosphere for bottling – “We have ambitions for our wines,” says Vincent. “Long corks, grand cru bottles but not too heavy…” says Vincent. “We are at a peak of new oak just now as I’ve been renewing our barrel ‘park’ – we have over 500 barrels – opening our park to other suppliers and cleaning out some of the barrels – we are aimimg for a minimum of impact but there is around 25% new right now.” As you may see from my notes, I would say the result is spicy, peppery and relatively overt, but of nothing overt like toast or creamy vanilla – exactly as would be my preference if the oak is visible.
2019 Ladoix Clos de Chaignots Monopole
This with a diam 5 haute de gamme, 2.35 hectares in Ladoix chez Ardhuy
A faintly spiced darker fruit on this, still, rather timid nose. Mouth-filling, vibrant energy, dark-fruited a little darker graphite-style mineral impression too. Depth of darker flavour and a very long, faintly creamy end to the flavour. That’s a great start.
2019 Aloxe-Corton
Boutières and Valozières here with cork. Trescasses NdTech
Just a little less colour. More open with redder berry fruit but also with very good depth of aroma. Width and particularly, plenty of depth, here. There’s a faint grain of tannin but hardly any dryness. A fresh finishing length with good energy here.
2019 Gevrey-Chambertin
4 parcels assembled, Platière the largest. Cork.
This shows an even more open nose – lots of aromatic volume here. Impressive intensity – but a width to this intensity too – no pin-prick here. That’s a fine bottle.
Cork. The biggest parcel of the domaine at 6.5 ha – over 1 hecatre currently replanted. Narbantons also replanted and should return in 2022.
Plenty of colour here. A width and a slightly rounder, almost mocha-accented nose. Hmm – here is depth of flavour but also energy too – red fruit of impressive depth too. That’s a really excellent wine – possibly even better than excellent!
2019 Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Les Peuillets
Here’s normally the ripest and earliest ripening of the domaine’s Savignys – Guettes & Narbantons included in the others from the domaine.
Airy, faintly spiced. Similarly mouth-filling yet with a combination of more structure and openness – the energy is just as good as the last. A little more airy finishing flavour here, but still more of a wine to wait for… Delicious finishing – drink the first Savigny while waiting a little longer for this one.
2019 Côte de Nuits Villages Clos des Langres Monopole
3.14 hectares. Starting in 2020 was a big work to map the Clos – the soil and vine by vine the amount of grapes and health of each vine.
Dark-fruited, suggestion a very faint reduction but with a fine freshness too. The wine is round, concentrated but fresh, not fat. A spiced oak impression but modest. Wide and with many dimensions to this finishing flavour.
2019 Corton Renardes
An important producer of this wine – 1.6 ha – ‘This was a wine that I found rather strict when I came to the domaine and worked to reduce that, more by infusion – less pigeage hoping for a more supple wine.’ An assembly of low middle and higher parcels – not harvested the same days – as much as 4 days between the first and last and as the tanks are cooled they are still mixed before the start of fermentation. Very little intervention – ‘the mark of the man is the lightest with this wine…’
Like all the wines here, plenty of colour. There’s a certain textural cushion to the forward aroma here – it’s very inviting – another wine with a slightly mocha impression. Mouth-filling, tannin but with no grain, a wine of complexity in the middle flavours – like all these – a wine to wait for, as so much is packed together here. Clean and long finishing.
2 parcels almost 1 hectare.
Another open nose – this higher-toned and tending towards if not quite delivering a floral impression. More mouth-filling and more open – this has a less inherently concentrated core of flavour than the Renardes – as it’s more open – but the concentration is certainly there – just a little more accessible today. That’s a very lovely finish – potentially a great wine.
In a good year two barrels! ‘For me there’s a fineness of tannins that make this stand out.’
A pretty nose of depth – the aromas always changing direction too. Supple, wide, so mouth-watering. Lots of tannic grain but so tiny – micro-grained and without dryness. That’s a super wine today – energy, mouth-watering too but properly concentrated at the same time. Just a little finishing structure but freshness in this length too – certainly a great Corton.
Les Whites…
2019 Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune Les Perrières
Diam-style seal here. 1.12 ha above Savigny, two-thirds stainless steel elevage – the wood almost half new…
Directly a super attractive freshness of aroma – yes! A little tannin at the base – the middle is a little muddled but the top notes are so tasty, indeed juicy. Simply excellent Bourgogne!
2019 Ladoix Blanc
Blend of Combottes, Chaillots and Chagnots. DIAM5-sealed – a mix of stainless-steel and barrel elevage.
A more composed nose, more saline, still fine lemon citrus. Depth of flavour here – a certain freshness and energy again. Here still with a grain of tannin at the base – wide and mineral finishing – this a wine to wait for – 2-3 years probably but with much anticipation – the chance to be excellent I think.
Diam-style seal
Fresh, saline, yellow citrus, the first with a little creamy oak. Ooh – forget that aromatic oak – this is just so juicy and mobile in the mouth – faintly a little mineral energy too that tends towards grapefruit – bravo!
2019 Ladoix 1er Le Rognet Blanc
Monopole in 1er cru, Back to NDTec cork
Again a creamy oak – a little more than the last – which was already 100% new oak – so 150%? But a lovely citrus impression too. Mouth-filling, like all these whites with a grain of tannin that frames the flavours. Slowly fading in the finish. Less open and approachable than the Savigny today but clearly with lots of interest – potentially excellent but it must show more…
Over 2 ha. Rognets et Corton high up, plus a parcel in Languettes and another in Pougets, finally a tiny parcel in Carrières
There is anecdotal aromatic oak here – more captivating is the fresh zestiness of the nose. Wow – that’s concentrated – some modest bitters but so intense, a little spicy barrel – long. Wow wine – worth a special search – but then for keeping. Bravo!