Tasted in Beaune with Geoffroy Choppin de Janvry, 21 July 2019.
Domaine Albert Morot
20 Avenue Charles Jaffelin
21200 Beaune
Tel: +33 3 80 22 35 39
www.albertmorot.fr
This domaine has organic certification since 2015, producing 95% red wine from predominantly older vines. Today, Geoffray produces around 35,000 bottles with the help of 2 full-time employees and one student. The domaines sales are predominantly in export markets
Geoffroy on 2017:
“These were bottled in November, it used to be later, but this is more the norm today. 2017 is a vintage where we harvested with good maturity, the grapes had good balance despite picking early in September. Our yields ranged over 35-40 hl/ha, the maximum allowed is 48! Across the range in 2017 I used 25% new oak – the rest mainly 1-2 year barrels. We harvest later in the grapes’ cycle than 20 years ago and of-course we sort much more than 20-25 years ago too – once acidity was the most important measure, today I would have no idea what acidity the wine had if you asked – I would just answer its in my computer! It’s the quality of the tannins that I’m searching for these days. Also, there are about 20% stems in the wines – with the exception of the Toussaints and the Aigrots which are completely destemmed.”
The wines…
Geoffroy has dialled-back a little with his oak and is bottling just a little earlier than was once the case. This is a knockout range of concentrated, well-coloured fabulous Beaunes – treat yourself – I will!
2017 Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er La Bataillière Aux Vergelesses
Sited in Savigny’s Les Vergelesses. One-third of this mid-slope 1.8-hectare monopole, 0.6ha, has been uprooted and planted with chardonnay.
Good colour. A bright nose, with a little powdery aroma – the glass probably. Nicely mouth-filling, and fresh, with waves of flavour and good energy here – classic, good concentration. The last drops in the glass smell beautiful.
2017 Beaune 1er, Cents Vignes
More clay and silt here at the bottom of the slope, vines planted in 1962.
Lots of colour. Hmm, this has a beautiful, deep, inviting nose. Round, with fine texture and layers of flavour. Long, deliciously long. Easy drinking but such good drinking – Excellent.
There are not many who label this…
Perfumed, floral – a great invitation. More airy, more complex, very good energy. Almost chewy complexity in the finish. To keep longer, but you could – certainly I could – enjoy it right now. Bravo!
Near the Clos des Mouches, 1 ha of vines, 1/3 of which are planted to white – there’s more limestone and sand here.
Again a beautiful floral perfume, wider, complex, a little less airy but a more insistent concentration too. Beautiful texture – great Beaune. A slight finishing grain – love!
From above Toussaints, there’s more limestone in this plot.
Hmm, a serious nose, faintly floral but of deep, concentrated fruit. Supple, concentrated, layered flavour – ooh, so good. Defined layers of finishing flavour – great wine, great Beaune.
2017 Beaune 1er Marconnets
Right at the top of the hill of Beaune.
A slightly tighter nose, faintly floral, still. Almost a fat to this depth of texture, plenty of tannin too, but virtually no grain – a profound wine, clearly – just a little less finishing energy. Simply excellent.
2017 Beaune 1er Teurons
From higher up in the vineyard.
A little more open nose, perfumed with violets. Ooh, big in the mouth, very fine tannin. Deep, concentrated delicious wine. This is a little tighter than the last but essentially is a bigger wine. Excellent again.
And just to see:
2016 Beaune 1er Teurons
Also a deep concentration to the aromas, growing a darker, floral, perfume. Big again, the tannin slightly more visible, roughly similar concentration, perhaps a little more open, big in the finish too, faintly tannic. So good!