Tasted in Auxey-Duresses with Max and Stephan Piguet, 28 June 2017

Domaine Piguet-Chouet
Route de Beaune
21190 Auxey-Duresses
Tel: +33 3 80 21 25 78
www.piguetchouet.fr

Max Piguet is from Auxey-Duresses and inherited the family domaine from his father in 1979. Max’s wife Anne-Marye, from Meursault brings the Chouet to the domaine name. Married since 1981, this was also the start of the domaine of this name. The two sons, Stephan and William, work here at the domaine too. The principal market for the domaine’s wines is France – mainly to individuals. The domaine produces about half white from their 10 hectare exploitation, of which about 60% of their production is commercialised in bottle, it is mainly generics that are sold in bulk.

It’s a wide range of communes that are represented here; Monthelie, Auxey-Duresses, St.Romain, Savigny-lès-Beaune and Meursault whites plus Auxey-Duresses, Monthelie, Volnay, Savigny-lès-Beaune & Pommard reds.

The wines…

DIAM used here.

A nice domaine with wines that are not to be avoided if you see on a winelist…

2016 Auxey-Duresses Rouge
From multiple parcels, ‘most buyers are drinking this in 1-2 years.’
A little musty from the glass, plenty of volume, a hint of tannin, freshness energy, an appealing complexity. A good wine.

2016 Auxey-Duresses Les Heptures Cuvée Mathis Rouge
Plain south-facing, just to the left of the 1er cru hillside. ‘Planted at the start of the 2000s – an unproductive clone, so concentrated.’
A much higher toned nose, but pretty. A little more astringence, but freshness, almost an attractive bitterness in the mid-palate, there’s more oak here but you wouldn’t notice.

2016 Auxey-Duresses 1er Le Val
A very classy nose, almost silky – not full power but it doesn’t need to be. Round, supple, growing a little tannin, delicious fruit with a little cushion to th texture. Nice wine that mixes of elegance and power.

2016 Auxey-Duresses 1er Les Boutonniers Cuvée Charly
From the Meursault hillside
Hmm this is a lovely nose of good width. Wide on the palate too – long and interesting, though I sense something oxidative – and its DIAM, so it’s the wine. We discuss a little and I return to the glass – the wine is a little more open and what I perceived as oxidative is now showing as aniseed – it’s in the aroma too – individual and actually really good.

2015 Auxey-Duresses 1er Les Boutonniers Cuvée Charly
This seems fresher if more compact than the 2016. A little sweetness, power and good drive – long too. This is a good wine, a punchy wine, that I like.