Tasted with Vincent Beaumont in Morey, 04 June 2015.
Domaine des Beaumont
9 Rue Ribordot
21220 Morey St.Denis
Tel: +33 3 80 51 87 89
www.domaine-des-beaumont.com
I tasted a very impressive 2013 Chambolle from this domaine in the ‘Trilogie‘ tasting earlier this year, so thought a visit a ‘must’. It’s a beautiful view from the buildings of Domaine des Beaumont, towards the Morey hillside – and given the contours of the land, you would hardly know that the Route-Nationale is between you and the village.
This domaine has been connected to the vines for 7 generations now, though today there are actually 4 proprietors, as the domaine’s 5.5 hectares of vines are assembled from aunts, grandparents and mothers too. Thierry Beaumont began the current enterprise in 1991, mainly selling in bulk, but from 1999 he began to commercialise bottles from the domaine – within 4 years everything was sold in bottle. Thierry sometimes buys grapes too – mainly in Morey – and at first glance the label is the same, but on closer inspection you’ll notice that it says Thierry Beaumont, not Domaine des Beaumonts – still, Thierry does some of the vineyard work too. Vincent Beaumont is responsible for the commerce. Today, about 60% of the production is exported.
The current cuverie was rebuilt in 2009, using concrete tanks “It has a nice thermal stability” says Vincent. The grapes are 100% destemmed, “We make no studies to incorporate because we‘re happy as we are.” There’s 12-14 months elevage, the barrels supplied by blend of coopers but usually some test barrels too, such as Boutes just now. It’s about 2/3rds new wood in the 1er and grand crus, 1/3rd in the villages wines.
The domaine has 10 different cuvées but assembled from 28 different parcels in Gevrey, Morey and Chambolle. Despite their location in Morey, they make more Gevrey than Morey, but the Morey and Gevrey villages are their most important cuvées. The domaine’s overall production is in the range of 25-30,000 bottles.
The wines…
The view from the domaine…
It was still a little early to taste the 2014s as they were full of gas and showing not a little from the malos. Vincent notes that “In the vintage 2010-2013 period we lost the equivalent of one vintage; 2012 was the worst, minus more than 30%, 2013 was more like 10% down.”
I find these wines to be complex and interesting – indeed they have a kind of dark virility, but party to that is that they also deliver a healthy whack of dark oak. All things considered, I wouldn’t drink these in the first 2-3 years. But afterwards they should be very interesting.
2012 Bourgogne Pinot Noir
A pretty and quite floral aromatic. Direct, acid-borne but slowly increasing in weight in the finish. I find this a little tart but there‘s a lot of extract in the mid-palate and finish – and its a good finish too.
2013 Chambolle-Musigny Les Chardannes
Bottled in February, by phase of the moon.
Quite deeply coloured. Deep aromas, with fine fruit and a suggestion of florality. Wide, intense, some structure but vibrant energy – again a weight of finishing extract. Not cliché Chambolle – rather a wine with a little more muscle – yum! A finishing salinity too. “Yes, more muscle than the previous vintages“ agrees Vincent.
2012 Morey St.Denis
A nose that starts narrow but widens and widens. Structure, and a tannin that has a textural drag rather than grain, reminds me of wood tannin(?) But there’s mouth-watering dark fruit, and a fine long finish – very much a wine to wait for – a tasty finish already though.
2011 Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles-Vignes
From 65 year-old vines – mainly the domaine has 40-45 yo vines.
A little tight, but a seemingly silky nose with a suggested sweetness of fruit but no more. Decent weight and good texture before a slowly rising grain of tannin. Theres a little salinity and an oaky impression in the finish – a suggestion of pyrazine too, but aromatically I don‘t find it.
2012 Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles-Vignes
Faint flowers, fainter fumé notes. Like the 2011 there‘s a salinity here, and a texture that suggests some oak, but its supple enough not to worry to me. The finish is fresh long and reasonably intense. A mineral aspect here, like the 2011 – assuming it‘s not just oak…
2013 Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles-Vignes
A little floral, pretty if tight nose. A saline first wave, then really mouth-filling flavour. All finely balanced, with a little dark oak and a lot of mouth-watering flavour. The finish narrows quickly but holds a very good line.
2011 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er les Cherbaudes
A relatively pronounced pyrazine aroma here. Wide, decent concentration of flavour, though I find the pyrazine note comes through the flavours too . On the other had there’s a good round texture here and equally good sweetness of fruit. Good weight of mid-palate and finishing flavour – the nicest part of this wine with a little attractive spice too.
A very attractive, faintly floral, faintly spiced aroma – this is very discreet, but also very lovely. A wine with plenty of structure but lots and lots of mouth-watering flavour too – there’s complexity here in abundance – a super growth of flavour in the mid-palate too – with faintly dry tannin. A baby, but there’s real potential here – yum!
2013 Morey St.Denis 1er les Millandes
From 88 year-old vines, the oldest parcel of the domaine.
A cushioned, deep, textured almost dark-fruity-chocolate nose. Mouth-filling, a little tannin plenty of supple structure, with a slightly more mineral and saline mid-palate and finish. Good flavour here. Very likeable wine…
2011 Charmes-Chambertin
A deep pyrazine note. Round and with depth, but the pyrazine is dominant here too, despite some pretty red fruit. Mouth-filling and mouth-warming layers of flavour, a palate that holds tons of interest despite the ever-present pyrazine. Very good depth of flavour in the finish. Clearly grand cru…