Tasted in Beaune with Dimitri Bazas, 02 May 2023.
Maison Champy
3 Rue du Grenier À Sel
21200 Beaune
Tel: +33 3 80 25 09 99
www.champy.com
More reports with Maison Champy
Dimitri on 2021:
“I can compare 2021 to 2016 because the effect of the frost was exacerbated by seemingly summer temperatures just the week before the frost arrived – a natural catastrophe which caused us to adapt – the maturity was very heterogeneous. In 2021 there were moments and places where the maturity was obvious though we can’t compare with the vintages on either side. We started harvesting 20 September finishing with Charlemagne and Clos de Bully in Pernand at the end of the month. I didn’t push the extractions – because of that so you can say that there’s a certain lightness – but I didn’t want to try to substitute something that wasn’t there. And we used not a single new barrel for the elevage – I chose to play the card of the fruit, not the barrel. 2007 and 2011 are vintages that tease a little, like 2021…”
The wines…
This is a generally excellent result for the domaine – with a couple of wines worth an extra search to find – it’s a shame about their volumes though…
All the wines were bottled – this was finished at the end of 2022 – and the news here – all DIAM10 for the whites from this vintage:
2021 Pernand-Vergelesses Clos de Bully
Cistercians started in the 12th Century with these vines. Almost one hectare, high up on the limits of the Hautes Côtes a small amphitheatre. Marne and limestone here. Last vines harvested and there were 50% whole clusters in the fermentation. 0.80 ha and a real close.
Round, slightly smoky aromas – but inviting – perhaps part the wc, part the oak. Supple, silky, generous and delicious – the smoky elements are visible but far from distracting. A very tasty ensemble – faintly, attractively with modest finishing bitters…
2021 Chorey-lès-Beaune
Beaumonts and Saucilles, also certified AB
A broader and fresher width of aroma – more herbed for sure – but becoming more perfumed with air. More direct and incisive – very silky. This is a sweeping wine that I’d wait 3-5 years for but I find simply excellent!
Au Fourches (with deeper soil) and Balliards – AB certified. A relatively early bottling to keep/accentuate the fruit. This year with some declassified 1er from Vergelesses whose volume was too low for a separate cuvée
Broad, much more airy – an attractive blend of red fruit and a growing floral component. Yes! Incisive again but with extra depth, sinewy shape and it’s much more complex too – that’s a simply excellent. Potentially great Savigny villages!
2021 Aloxe-Corton
AB. Mainly from Boutières – normally 6-7 barrels – they had only 2 this year.
More aromatic depth also a more herbed character to the stem aromas. Wide, some lovely intensity but also the herb of the nose in the flavours – these will relax and improve with time – wait 5 years – it’s very perfumed finishing though!
2021 Beaune Vieilles-Vignes
Planted 1947-49 in the plain towards the Pommard side.
Fuller, more smoky aromas. More mouth-filling, supple texture – waves of red fruit energy – still quite smoky – again have some patience – 3+ years but texturally this is lovely and there’s a generosity to this depth of flavour.
2021 Pommard
AB wine. Vines just under Rugiens, Les Cras – 0.3 ha
A dark but exciting nose – fine florals and a hint of herb. Great shape – architecture – open and juicy. Good depth to this flavour too. The tannin frames the flavours but it’s ripe and practically grainless. Very tasty and long finishing – super.
2021 Volnay
Three barrels from half a hectare!
Hmm – a clear extra, high-toned, perfume. Almost the architecture of the Pommard but with more vibrant energy – still juicy – with higher-toned floral complexity. Proper Volnay and lovely!
2021 Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru
No name as the 1ers were largely assembled due to low volumes… No destemming here.
The smoky stems of most of these wines but at the same time with an attractively airy perfume. The most fluid and mobile flavour yet. Faintly stemmy but never aggressive – another wine where I’d be tempted to wait 3-5 years for all to calm but this is excellent PV.
About 1/3 is old vines, over 60-years-old. 1.69 ha – in conversion to AB – neighbours to Chandon de Briailles
A nose that’s less forward than the previous but finer in all other respects – then comes a next-level perfume! More intense, no less fluid – ooh that’s a simply excellent wine – possibly some chance to be great!
0.5 ha between Chandon de Briailles and Thenard – 60% losses here
There are parallels to the aromas of the last – this a more airy delivery… In the mouth too – much more expansive and airy. Possibly easier to approach today but also a little larger in scale in the middle and finishing flavours. A burst of finishing flavour, perfumed, flavour that resembles the last. Simply excellent – today I have a slight preference for the former but in 5 years I think that this will pull ahead!
2021 Beaune 1er Aux Cras
Certified organic, 0.42 ha. But only 2 barrels instead of 8…
What a massive difference – attractively deep – broad in this aromatic depth too – in your face. Broad with some extra, creamy, depth to this flavour – faintly reductive. Simply super…
2021 Corton-Rognet
Next to Méo – about 30% of a normal harvest.
A top nose – depth, herby width and such precise perfume for top notes – great! More a volume than an obvious concentration but here is wine of larger scale. Almost architectural, certainly silky and juicy. A very pretty finishing floral accent too – for keeping – as it should be – but fine and very long finishing…
Les Whites…
Similar losses in the whites compared to the reds – no large difference…
2021 Bourgogne Chardonnay Cuvée Edme
Grapes from the Mâconnais with some barrel elevage.
Very direct – this will wake me up – quite a ripe fruit – almost exotic but herbed, slightly asparagus at the same time. In the mouth too – mouth-filling and mouth-watering, super shape and texture but I’m not a fan of the asparagus style!
2021 Pernand-Vergelesses
A mix of parcels with a severe debourbage.
Open, airy more classic and attractive – a growing perfume of flowers too. Hmm – I like the shape of this – it’s vibrant – has a little golden edge to the fruit. Juicy and satisfying wine – it’s lovely…
2021 Pernand-Vergelesses 1er En Caradeux
0.93 ha – an important vine for the domaine – in 2 parcels.
Hmm – freshness and energy – just a little extra ripeness to the citrus but small notes of white flowers too. Energy, width and clarity – a hint more generous but never fat. Simply lovely again.
2021 Corton-Charlemagne
En Charlemagne, so of-course, the Pernand side. This year, just two barrels from half a hectare
A much more open and airy nose – that’s a beauty – such clarity and complexity mixed with floral references, again white flowers! Direct, mineral, perhaps the faintest of reduction. Rich, creamy and very long – excellent grand cru!