Tasted in Vosne-Romanée with Sophie Noëllat, 12 May 2022.
Domaine Michel Noëllat & Fils
5, rue de la Fontaine
Vosne-Romanée 21700
Tel: +33 3 80 61 36 87
www.domaine-michel-noellat.com
More reports with Domaine Michel Noellat
A domaine exploiting 27 hectares with 22 different appellations – so quite an important domaine, even by Vosne standards.
Sophie on this year, so far:
“We’ve had a little hail already – in Fixin last weekend – but the obvious problems were with the frost this year. For now, there still seems to be plenty of grapes though.”
Sophie on 2021:
“21 was chaotic. Frost in the Côte de beaune and Savigny – we lost all the chardonnay in Savigny. In the Côte de Nuits, we had some good surprises with correct volumes but we were very selective with triage – at least 10% was removed so that we had nice grapes in the tanks. Across the domaine, we saw 50 to 60% losses in volume. The wines were showing forward acidities before the malo, with different texture and concentration vs previous years but the wines seem very refreshingly delicious – they have great esprit.”
Sophie on 2020:
“We had a good flowering then we waited for rain in the summer – which unfortunately didn’t come! The grapes were nice – though warm – but we’re well equipped for that these days, harvesting from 02 September. There were some grilled grapes but otherwise, there was very little to triage. The end of vinifications took their time – some wines were up to 14.5°. We were not pressed to bottle, the last were done just over a month ago. The wines are accessible but I see 2020 as a vintage to keep. 2018 was the last full vintage and we have lost about one harvest in the last three. In summary, concentrated, and beautiful, but nearly half a harvest.”
The wines…
A quick tour of a portion of the domaine’s production – but what a high level of quality – and consistency with their 2019s in mind too. Really impressive wines…
In Très Girard.
What colour. Textured deep dark fruit but with purity, becoming more floral with air – still, 20% new oak from a mix of coopers. Cool fruit, energy, open. Just toooo delicious – bravo – waves of dark finishing fruit.
2020 Chambolle-Musigny
4 parcels – Fouchères being the largest.
Again, such colour. It’s still 2020 fruit but much more airy in style. The structure is more visible but in a good way. Energy, minerality, some graphite mixed with the perfumed dark fruit – keep this a while – if you can – it’s excellent
2020 Nuits St.Georges
2 parcels – Lavières and Allots – on the Vosne side of Nuits
A little tighter in the higher tones, but here is a glossy and fine width of fresh ripe dark red fruit. Open, growing with florals in the fruit, mouth-watering again. Structured but not tannic – I like the shape and extra minerality here – just the tip of the tongue showing the tannin. That’s less showy than the Chambolle but leaves a very lovely impression…
3 lieu-dits assembled; Les Communes and two more parcels closer to the cemetery and the Clos de Vougeot
An airy width and less structure than the Nuits. Direct, beautifully shaped, adding floral accents to the fruit – more in a different direction. Vibrant finishing and like all these, a concentration not to be underestimated. Bravo villages. Still only about €40 ht from the domaine – the problem is that they are sold out…
2 parcels, one on the top part near RSV, the other right in the middle of the lower part.
Finer aromatics, extra purity, more perfumed – a great invitation. Extra in all dimensions except density – you (I!) could drink this already such is the caress that it offers – bravo – this is a serious range here in 2020!
2020 Nuits St.Georges 1er Boudots
Vines next to Malconsorts
More power, lots of freshness, silk, slight menthol. Supple, wrapping itself around the tongue. Impressive concentration but not oppressive – layered and very long – I’d take the Suchots today but in 15 years maybe this is the one to have…
2020 Echézeaux du Dessous
Here they have two parcels, but as they use Dessous on label, they don’t include the part in Treux.
Broad, some high tones, lots of depth – not showing the same delicacy of aromas as previous wines – not yet, anyway. Beautiful over the palate though – expressive, fluid, beautifully textured – here is a great wine. Vibrantly, impressively, finishing – top wine here and just a nose short of great – it is the most recently bottled and perhaps this is the reason.