Tasted in Aloxe-Corton with Fiona and Michael Ragg, 12 June 2023.
Domaine Mischief & Mayhem
10 Impasse du Puits,
21420 Aloxe-Corton
Tel: +33 380 26 46 35
www.mischiefandmayhem.com
More reports for Domaine Mischief & Mayhem
Fiona on 2021 & 2022:
“2021 brought minuscule quantities – though we loved the quality, that didn’t help with the allocations though. 2022 is a nice vintage – also with good quantities this time – we finished the harvest in September but obviously started in August. Bottling for some of the 2022s is coming – the Puligny will wait longer as it always improves. We picked reds first in 2022 – Aloxe was at the end of August – very ripe and no whole bunch was used.
“In terms of the total volume we are still mainly maison – after the 2021 harvest we got the chance to buy 1/3 of a hectare of Pommard 1er Clos Blanc – 2022 will be first vintage of this here – the vines were planted in 2014. This is now the 4th domaine wine here – we are looking to cut down on juice purchases – those where we are only doing elevage – we much prefer to start with the grapes.”
The wines…
Always more than competent – wines that are thoughtfully made and involving, including a couple of 2022 ‘value’ wines that are worth a special search…
2022 Aloxe-Corton Les Caillettes
Bottling next Wednesday – all the rest of the 22s will wait until next year… No tractors in here now – all organic treatments and horse-ploughing – now in the 2nd year of certification – the same for all the domaine parcels. A bunch of replanting has been underway – but not due to deperissment – just tired vines – so only 1.5 barrels this year…
A broad nose but with depth and concentration too – so creamy oak but not over the top. Generous but also ultra silky. The flavour is powerful but the silky texture helps with the balance – some mixed herb in this complex and lasting finish – that’s rather good…
2022 Côte de Nuits Villages Au Montagne
First vintage here was 2019 – organic certified. A very stony vineyard with 60-year-old vines – some whole bunch used for this – about 20%.
A nose that broadens then comes into good focus with some air, even a little floral aspect. More sinewy – I like this structure and depth – more open flavoured – this is going to be excellent.
2022 Savigny-lès-Beaune Bailliards
All organic certified. Always the last vineyard to be picked – half destemmed.
Hmm – a full and fragrant nose – some wc spice and oak complexity – it’s a good blend. Concentrated but with fine direction. That’s a delicious wine…
2022 Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Aux Gravains
A broad, perfumed nose of the wc and a more modest accent of the barrel. A little more tension and I really like the structure – this will be excellent – maybe even a bit better than that!
2022 Pommard 1er Clos Blanc
‘It’s a happy, happy, plot with really good soil and stones, sheltered by the walls.’
Not an overt wc perfume – there’s nearly 15% actually – but plenty of floral perfume all the same. Silky, sinuous, a velvet tannin that slowly grows. Intense in the finish, growing broader and certainly persistent. Proper 1er cru and not overly structural – excellent wine.
2022 Brouilly
Last day of August for this harvest. Côte de Brouilly was 3 days later. ‘We’ve been making this wine since 2016 – the first three years was about getting the wine recognised, since then it sells itself…’
A more solid nose to start but air and swirling brings about a more relaxed and open presentation. A big wine – concentrated – supple – but retaining balance. A wine that I’d wait for. The last flavours are a little mineral with some tannin from the structure too.
Dark fruit freshness – that’s a proper CdB invitation. Some salinity and lots of energy – a cool style and a certain fluidity too – that’s a great CdB!
Les Whites:
2022 Bourgogne Aligoté
Generally picked quite late from this plot in Puligny – this year all steel elevage – ‘I didn’t think it needed any oak. Picked 07-September’
A nose that is direct and a little steely. There’s concentration here – like all the 22s here, both colours – but also some direction to this flavour profile. Not the biggest energy but almost a mineral energy. Impressive length here for the label…
A new wine here – harvested first week of September – just under half steel and some concrete egg.
More attractive for me, slightly more generous, fine chardonnay energy. Hmm – generous again but much more mineral and structural in shape – I love it – yes!
2022 Côte de Nuits Villages Topp Citeau
Round, plenty of oak showing today – but give it 2 years. Broad and silken, a slight cushion despite obviously mineral flavours. The oak giving the impression of extra generosity today – an interesting little grain of finishing tannin too.
2019 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Referts
This domaine parcel acquired at the end of 2014. Picked same day as in 2020 – 24th August
A nose of silky breadth with some nuttiness and oak – but nothing that is jarring, only young. Hmm – now this has the ‘extra’ an almost every dimension – creamy depth without being creamy – a more fluid style too. Certainly a wine to follow.