Domaine Terres de Velle

3.8.2018billn

Tasted in Auxey-Duresses with Sophie Laronze, 28 June 2018.

Domaine Terres de Velle
Chemin sous la Velle
21190 Auxey-Duresses
Tel: +33 3 80 22 80 31
www.terresdevelle.fr

This domaine is well-known to readers of Burgundy-Report. Sophie Laronze took time out of her day to walk a little in the vines and pour the domaine’s Auxey-Duresses – there two Auxeys here, one of each colour.

First a few notes from Sophie on the vintages: “2016 was a positive vintage; of course we had some frost which meant that we had almost no Meursault. Our wines from other villages were less badly touched – including Auxey – in the end we had, maybe, 15-20% losses across the domaine. There was little reason in the distribution of the frost, in our Volnays of Ez Blanches and Roncerets both were hardly touched – despite completely different altitudes – though many of our neighbours were less lucky.

“2017, by contrast, was really an easy year. We worked the whole year organically, making only 4 or 5 treatments. We certainly didn’t see high yields – we didn’t need to ask for any augmentation! There’s a nice freshness to the wines.

The wines…

A nice selection here, the 2010 showing the difference a little patience makes to the overall texture of the red.

2016 Auxey-Duresses Les Closeaux Rouge
Limit of appellation. Behind the winery on the Meursault side of the village. It’s cool here, the vines have a little altitude so are later harvesting – always losing the afternoon sun. We work with training here – you can never have extra yield here because it would never ripen! We have 45-year-old vines and there’s plenty of limestone here. In terms of winemaking we are looking to keep hold of the fruit and not work the wine too much – certainly not too much pigeage. We have higher and lower placed vines, the low are locally called the Petit Clos – but it’s not on maps! The name Closeaux, unsurprisingly means multiple small clos – with a lovely view… also for the wildlife there’s some competition with the wild boar for the grapes… Bottled end of february after a year in barrels and 5 months in tank.
Hmm, dark – almost a little musky – a very attractive nose. Open fresh, a little grab from the tannin, faintly astringent but nice depth and shape. Tasty wine with an attractive fresh line into the finish – modestly but openly mineral. Yum! I like very much – wait another year or two but this drinks very well.

2010 Auxey-Duresses Les Closeaux Rouge
Hmm, what a difference – deep, faintly musky aromas and dark berries. The astrigence of the 16 has become more silky now. Mineral inflected, slowly mouth-watering, decent acidity but not too much. Open and more overtly mineral in the finish. For a simple villages wine – à point. Lovely!

2016 Auxey-Duresses Les Hautés Blanc
A very small triangle of vines of just 0.10 ha, a micro cuvée of two barrels from vines approaching 60 years old. There’s little soil here, just 10-15 cm before hitting the mother rock. ‘We had to replant a number of dead vines when we got the parcel, and it was an experience trying to plant the vines!’
Hmm, this is a lovely nose, and redolent of Meursault, slowly becoming a little floral too. A fine width of growing intensity – saline, slightly spiced, direct, like the nose a little Meursault, with a wave of finishing flavour. Excellent!

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