Tasted with François Bitouzet, in his new cuverie in Meursault – his 3rd cuverie! 25 November 2022.
Domaine Bitouzet-Prieur
Rue de la Combe
21190 Volnay
Tel: +33 3 80 21 62 13
www.bitouzet-prieur.com
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More reports with Domaine Bitouzet-Prieur
François on 2023:
“23 brought certainly a bit more in the whites than in 22.”
François on 2022:
“2022 was generous. They have nice energy. 25 August was our starting point and the acidity is good and the alcohol not too high – I’d sign each year for a vintage like that – directly! All was easy, also in the cuverie. I think that starting our harvest early helped.”
The wines…
What a super result from this domaine in 2022 – a whole bunch of excellent, sometimes great, reds – then there are the great whites !! Much worth a special search in this range!
For some of the ‘lower’ wines François is using a technical cork – an amalgam in the middle with layers of cork on either side – “But I don’t like DIAM” he says.
2022 Bourgogne Pinot Noir
90% from Lambots in Meursault and 10% from Volnay.
Dark fruit, almost a hint of licorice here – but smooth and round too. A little grain of tannin frames the flavour – dark fruit and a good fluidity. This is slightly masculine but also very, very tasty.
2022 Volnay
The normal blend – two parcels – the third of 10% from Petit Gamay is just replanted. Racked yesterday.
A hint less colour. Wider, redder fruit – almost silkier too. Also some structure but there’s no grain to this tannin – more classic and open Volnay style – almost a mix of soft red fruit and faint spice. Delicious and wide finishing wait 1-2 years but this you will enjoy!
2022 Beaune 1er Les Cent Vignes
A silky width of darker fruit aroma, faintly floral too. Again a good structural base, slightly dark fruit, again some tannin but without grain. Strong wine, there’s intensity here but finishing with fine, delicate.
2022 Volnay 1er Les Aussy
Aussy is often labelled Ronceret today. 0.5 ha here, half planted in 1998, the other half in 1948.
Ooh, wide and very silky this is a beauty – very elegant red berries here. Also with a frame of tannin, uber-fine grained but no dryness. Elegant and perfumed finishing – that’s very lovely.
This Taillepieds has 3 ages of vines. One part replanted in 1998.
Hmm – that’s a super perfume – a fine and super elegant expression, hints of extra depth too – a great nose. Structural, mineral – it’s Taillepieds! But flavours that melt over the palate- juicily attractive. Wide, deep, complex and involving in the finish. That could be a great one!
Dessus, planted in 1983. About 0.25 ha.
Airy pure and floral perfumed too – classic Caillerets. Broader, silkier – a pure and panoramic wine – a wine of width vs the more vertical Taillepieds. This is clearly a great wine – so persistent too!
2022 Volnay 1er Clos des Chênes
2 parcels, one on a brown soil in the middle, and the other higher and more white with millerande berries – ‘it’s the combination of the two that makes the wine’. Roughly 0.75 ha.
Deeper colour. A smaller but actually very elegant nose – for Clos des Chènes – very fine perfume grows from this glass. More mouth-filling and quite structured – there’s a decent whack of tannin here too – but the juicy dark fruit keeps the peace and holds with a slightly saline accent. Complex and impressive wine – I’d be waiting 5-10 years for this one…
2022 Volnay 1er Pitures
Almost 1 ha north of the Clos des Ducs, the only Volnay of the domaine on this side of the village. More grey and white clay here.
Hmm, here is a very open nose with both silky high tones and a fine depth of aroma. Big wine in the mouth – with energy to balance its structure. I find super interest in the flavours from the middle to the finish – open, slightly saline, underpinned with some tannic grain. A wine with power and a little structure too. Wait 5 years, you will be rewarded.
Les Whites
Racked after the 14 August and fined since last week. Descending moon in November will mark the filtration. The last bottlings will be in February:
2022 Bourgogne Aligoté Les Grandes Terres
A small core of ripe citrus but a width of silk is the first impression, maybe a hint of reduction in the depth here. A smaller but intense core of flavour energy with the slight rigour of aligoté minerality. Very tasty!
2022 Bourgogne Chardonnay
Normally, two parcels in Meursault
Extra breadth and depth to this nose. Also a little reduction here – plenty of extra width to this energetic flavour. This is very nice in the mouth with little points of complexity. The finish has a little extra intensity – very good Bourgogne.
2022 Meursault Les Corbins
Also a little rigour today – a mineral rigour – but air fades this and brings a fine width of attractive aroma. In the mouth good structure and intensity but wrapped in a fine texture of velour. Slowly fading – I really like the shape of this wine.
2022 Meursault Le Cromin
A smaller but fine nose – some Meursault spice here. Supple, layered but very complex and with super balance. Complex a hint saline.
Here is a fine Meursault freshness of aroma – it’s very inviting. Silky, fluid, complex – my kind of Meursault – A sinuous beauty – bravo!
An obvious firework reduction to this wine. Great shape and fluidity (once more) in the mouth. The flavours retain the reduction of the aromas but the structure fluidity and texture together are great for a villages – I’d be reaching for the carafe today and waiting 2-3 hours – it’s a potentially great villages.
2022 Meursault 1er Les Charmes
2 parcels one right at the top with old vines just across the road from Perrières. The other from the bottom of the vineyard – both about the same size but vinified separately blending when brought into tank.
Broad and pretty aromatics. Here is a wine with a fine architecture – no simple, easy Charmes – in fact for Charmes there’s a hint of austerity about this – but it’s also a wine with a classic Meursault spice and a clarity of complex finishing notes. It will be completely excellent
2022 Meursault 1er Les Perrières
Directly a forward and complex invitation to drink. A panorama – part delicate, part intense – always mineral. Hyper-complex with almost a sizzle of energy framing the flavour. Almost a calm start to the finishing flavours but these are flavours that slowly widen and have impressive persistence.