Tasted in Sologny with Julien Desplans, 16 May 2024.
Verget SAS
Le Bourg
71960 Sologny
Tel: +33 3 85 51 66 00
www.verget-sa.fr
More reports for Verget.
Julien on this year – so far:
“We had a little hail in Pouilly Crais about 3 weeks ago but that’s all, no frost either. But this year with amount of rain, treating is something of a challenge so far…”
Julien on 2023:
“We had good quantities, similar to 22 despite that we had less rain than the Côte de Beaune and Chablis – so we don’t quite have such impressive yields as those places – but 45 hl/ha for the domaine is still a large one for us. For now, we see more reduction in 2023 than in 2022 but we will probably do a slightly shorter elevage to keep these noble-reduction accents. For the domaine the wines resemble 2020 – we are very happy with this…”
Julien on 2022:
“All are now bottled – they are very pleasant wines. I think the main advantage for 22 is that it follows 21 – everyone was happy with 22 after 21 !! It’s not the level of 2020 but, so far, that’s the vintage of the decade and let’s see if 2023 can match it… The main problem with 22 is the level of price – we see plenty of 23s that are 25% lower price which will be good for everyone.”
The wines…
It’s a great vintage chez Verget – the starting point for the wines here is ‘excellent’ – then there are the even more impressive wines !! It’s no surprise that these wines are so ‘allocated…’
Here it’s screw-cap or diam – can be 10 or 30 depending on the wine – but the standard is preferred to the Origine here as they like the slightly more hermetic first months of the ‘classic.’ They even some wine sales in screw-caps in France this year – Japan and the UK like them but here in France it starts with a supermarket for the cheaper wine and it’s 25 cents cheaper – a capsule costs 25 cents !!
2022 Mâcon-Villages Terres de Pierres
The largest volume cuvée produced – only stainless-steel elevage. Mainly from Viré-Clessé plus about 20% of many other villages ‘but that 20% comes mainly from great areas to boost the rest…’
A little perfume over a vibrant citrus depth. Supple, growing wider, ripe and modestly energetic – but here are layers of flavour with a little lime in this finishing flavour. Perfumed and mineral in the finish – that’s a lovely finish…
2022 Bourgogne Terrres de Pierres
Mainly from Charnay, young vines from here.
A more profound fruit – ripe if not quite exotic. Broader and fine-grained with a small support of tannin. It’s zesty in this finishing flavour – plenty of citrus skin in the finish – very tasty wine and I prefer the structure of this to the previous today.
2022 Mâcon-Villages Grand Elevage
9 months in older barrels – many plots, much from Charnay, a little Pierreclos too.
A narrower, fresher aromatic that showcases the depth even more – making a more vertical nose. Extra freshness and an energetic extra mineral width too. I love these modest but attractive finishing bitters – that’s a more than excellent wine!
2022 Bourgogne Grande Elevage
Mainly vines in Peronne with some from Charnay and Pierreclos too. All 228-l elevage
Here’s a bit more perfume in the aromas. Large in the mouth – clarity and lots of energy here. The barrel is still present in these finishing flavours – smoky barrel – but not too intrusive for drinking now – I’d still wait 18-24 months. Excellent wine that’s sneakily long…
From 3 neighbouring plots – the opposite side of the hill from the domaine vines – late picked due to eastern exposure and with elevage in stainless steel.
A more complex agrume fruit – with a small vibration of energy in this width. Hmm, that’s beautiful – fluid but complex, textured from a tiny grain of tannin – beautiful finishing width to this flavour – that’s a great Mâcon – bravo!
2022 Mâcon-Charnay Clos St.Pierre
Full-south facing with extra clay in the soil – early picked with a severe selection of the free-run juice. A short time in barrel but then quickly moved to stainless tanks.
Rounder, more volume of aroma, in this case with a small oak toast. Extra concentration and beautiful texture too – the barrel flavour adds richness. There is plenty of energy here but I find the barrel compromising a little of the energy today – I’d be waiting 3 years to drink this but it’s a beauty all the same…
2022 Mâcon-Pierreclos En Tremblay
A high-altitude plateau with sandy soil and schist – almost a Beaujolais terroir – the neighbours pick very early – we do the opposite and help the richness by waiting for a little botrytis too – which means everything is done by hand.
The barrel present here too – but more creamy in style. Hmm, this is altogether more vibrant and more panoramic. There’s a small textural cushion but less richness than the last. Fine finishing – there’s some concentration that’s a little dry and tannic in this finish. Long in this vein… I like even more the shape of this to the Clos Saint-Pierre.
2022 Mâcon-Bussières Vignes de Montbrison
Argillo-calcaire, 20 metres away from the Pouilly-Fuissé appellation with a western exposure – this harvested at the end of the harvest. All barrels for elevage, 20% new.
A more airy perfume – without oak – impressive depth to this aroma too. Hmm, here is a wonderfully shaped wine of intensity too – there’s some oak flavour that mixes well and doesn’t overwhelm the citrus – a little green citrus – complexity. This will be a really super wine – wait 2+ years and be happy !!
This wasn’t planted in the 1930s, perhaps because of that it’s not in the Pouilly AOP – but it’s surrounded by Pouilly-Fuissé! 1960s vines on limestone with some 450m of altitude and a NE exposure. All barrel elevage.
Airy yet deep – an accent of barrel to augment the yellow-citrus freshness. Hmm, luxurious texture, depth of flavour with a more acidulated leading edge to the flavour. This has the creamiest barrel flavour so far – far too much for me today but in 3+ years all will be completely fine. This is certainly excellent – it could be a great one…
3 plots assembled – not a domaine wine but made with similar ideas/esprit 2-4 times picking the grapes – the record for the domaine was 2 months of picking in 2014 – of course, the last are all with botrytis…
Nicely perfumed wine – the oak is much more discreet here. Supple but fluid – still with a couple of mm of cushioning to the texture. The first with a tiny saline touch in the finish. Wow finishing – that will certainly be a great one – I’d be waiting at least 3 years.
2022 St.Véran Terroirs de Davayé
Three parcels assembled – Les Pommards, Les Clos, Chatigny – Rotie – all barrel elevage with a little new for 5-6 months then another 4 months in concrete.
Freshness with an extra purity and airy clarity to the yellow citrus fruit – even a little white pepper. That’s an effusive, almost bubbly, energy. Then a slowly fading, fluid and airy finishing width that fades in very subtle fashion – beautiful fashion!!
2022 St.Véran Vigne de Saint-Claude
Close to the Mâcon-Bussières – from Prissé, higher than some Pouilly parcels. Older Vines high with a little more west orientation – limestone but well-draining. About 25% new oak used in the elevage of these. ‘2020 and 2023 were quite reductive – but in 10 years it can be great…’
There’s a more overt power to this aroma – this fruit a more golden citrus in style. The effusive nature of the previous but with much more volume and seemingly concentration too. The oak again more present – I’d certainly wait 5 years for it – it’s a beauty – particularly in the finish…
From Côte Rôti in Davayé – hence the name – which is full south-facing with limestone soil.
Extra width and with a super aromatic clarity. I love the shape and volume of this in the mouth – but one which fades with wonderful transparency – I think that’s clearly a great wine – and despite the visible oak I’d happily drink this before the previous wine…
2022 Pouilly-Fuissé, Terres de Pierres
Young vines here – but more expensive because of the place… Mainly stainless elevage but about 30% in barrel too which mainly came from Vergisson
Freshness with a more stone fruit depth. Great scale and width – it’s an incisive start too. Open – energetic – really vibrantly flavoured with a certain – shorter – but still juicy, delicious, finishing style.
2022 Pouilly-Fuissé, Grand Élevage
All barrel elevage – half of this from the plateau of Vergisson
A more subtle but also more obviously perfumed nose – flowers more than fruit. Extra density, framed with a small grain of tannic texture. But here is more finishing impact and length – there’s density to this flavour too. A more serious wine – and not at its best for at least 5 years despite very modest oak flavour…
From some of the terroirs (3) that they though unfairly missed getting 1er cru status…
Hmm – that’s a wonderful width of aroma with almost a suggestion of reduction here – it’s a beauty. Large scale – intense but broad too – there’s structure here – you can almost chew it – the oak here brings almost more texture in the middle flavours than actual flavour though it’s visible in the finish. A simply excellent wine that could be great with time…
2022 Pouilly-Fuissé Le Haute de la Roche
All limestone here.
A more silky and ‘easy’ but ultra-attractive nose. Fine scale again but like the nose there’s a certain ease and accessibility to this flavour – open in the middle and showing enviable clarity – growing even a little more intense as the flavours fade. Finely textured finishing too – another beauty…
So this just under the last with the same winemaking but here is more clay…
A middle width of aroma but quite vertical too. Clean, fine attack, growing more and more intense – and with panoramic width to this flavour. There’s more overt concentration – or better said, power, but less finesse vs the last – I’d be ordering the previous wine for myself – great as this is !!
2022 Pouilly-Fuissé 1er Les Crays
‘A solar place but also one with a hydric stress so not always an early harvest’ Full south – red soil, stony but hardly any limestone – but it can be too hot here so often is first picked…
A width of aroma but complex and almost stony-grained in style. I like the mouth-filling volume here – slightly saline but coupled with an airy openness to the flavours – a shimmering ease to this flavour. Oaked so wait 3 years but that’s a super-classy wine – ooh now that’s a finish with a reprise – a great finish !!
Really a Combe with two exposures – full north and full south. A part of is almost 100 years old, the younger part 80! Harvested in multiple (3) passes – from early to late. Low volume harvest for this cuvée.
A tiny reduction brings a lovely depth and excitement to this aroma. Large scale but without overt weight – this is just so classy – Bravo !!
To finish, the domaine wines…
All the young vines of Mâcon Pierreclos – all concrete elvage – bottled in August before the next harvest.
A small, almost stony aromatic. But vibrantly flavoured and properly concentrated too – a finish that radiates from the core – a more exotic fruit style here. For a Bourgogne that’s a great wine but give me a little less fruit ripeness…
Actually, En Cras – not produced every year
Hmm – that’s much more attractive to me – wide, perfumed and with fresher fruit. Vibrant, shimmering flavour of such impressive width – a fainter grain of tannin – I really don’t taste these older barrels – but 60% barrel. A great wine – yes!
This with all barrel elevage – 25% was new – with a bottling just 2 months ago.
Beautifully perfumed wine. Hmm – that’s got lovely energy – complexity too. I’d be waiting for 4-5 years – the oak is present but not overwhelming – but there’s enough. A great wine in waiting…
Planted 2003 – a very hot year – but the vines survived !!
Transparent – a beautiful clarity – I don’t see the floral perfume of the previous but it’s a great invitation. In the mouth, this also has great clarity and a finishing finesse – the oak here is just a small accent in this case. Great wine…
From the free-run juice of the three domaine parcels.
Hmm – this also has a fine clarity of citrus width – just beautiful !! Here is more impact and depth – concentration – to the flavour. Complex, but perfumed too – lots of citrus bitters in this complex finish.
2022 Pouilly-Fuissé C, C
Airy, complex and perfumed – beautiful !! Round with a concentrated core of flavour slowly melting in a mouth-watering style to increase the volume in the mouth. An extra depth to this finishing complexity – perfumed and, again, saline. Ultra elegantly finishing.
The highest plots of the domaine around vergisson – a bit of hail here so made just the one cuvée…
Another fine nose – here more depth and structure to the aromatic – maybe a subtle reduction bringing this out. Extra depth – texturally too – ultra complex, the texture framed with a chalky grain of tannin – this finish is ultra! Another great 2022!