Tasted in Puligny with Jean-Michel Chartron, the 8th October, 2014.
Domaine Jean Chartron
8 Bis Grande Rue
21190 Puligny-Montrachet
Tel: +33 3 80 21 99 19+33 3 80 21 99 19
www.bourgogne-chartron.com
Jean-Michel on 2013:
“I find it a vintage with lovely fruit and with a nice tension – I would say a classic white vintage. One or two cuvées had longer malos than normal but otherwise they went through fine”
The wines…
Apart from the few that were already in bottle, and those that were in barrel, all the wines had, since before the harvest, fining material in the tanks – this rendered a number of them smelling very, very similar. They all tasted completely different of-course (luckily!) but this is what happens when you absolutely must taste in October/November! Be assured that the aromatics will be their own, further down the line.
I note that Jean-Michel has moved to DIAM seals for his Bourgogne and ‘some’ of his villages wines.
A strong set of wines here.
2013 Bourgogne Chardonnay Clos de la Combe
From vines directly opposite the cuverie in the centre of Puligny – but not actually classed as Puligny villages!
The nose is fresh with some yellow fruit. Round and with good depth of flavour, nice acidity and intensity too. There’s plenty of material here – a wine that finishes with good concentration. Tasty wine!
2013 Rully
From a 3.5 hectare, single parcel. The elevage was in barrels but with a proportion of larger barrels too.
Fresh and high-toned – this is a really pretty nose. More concentration in the mouth, a slight padding to the texture and more punch to the flavour too.Underneath is very good acidity. I’ve a slight preference for the Bourgogne, but this is lovely.
2013 Savigny-lès-Beaune Les Pimontières
Fresh and high-toned aromatics – also clean-smelling like a laundered shirt (here is the fining material). A little CO2 but a nicely growing, almost mineral intensity. Balanced and super!
The nose here is also fresh and ‘clean’ – but inviting. Bigger yet, still a lithe and mineral impression. Super mid-palate intensity and fine supporting acidity – maybe a faint wood reference in the finish. This is very yum!
A plot bought from Château Pommard in 2008.
Yet another fresh, clean but inviting nose. There’s a little more mid-palate density here and growing acid-led interest – this is really super, delivering a wave of concentrated finishing flavour.
2013 St.Aubin 1er Les Murgers des Dents de Chien
A little deeper colour. Another clean and fresh nose with a little discernible ripe lemon below. Some CO2 but the wine remains round, concentrated and shows excellent balance.
A mix of four parcels, including some bought-in grapes.
The characteristic nose of today – fresh and clean but similar to each previous wine, faintly sweetened at the core. The palate is round and just a little more plush but once-more with super acidity. A shock of intensity after swallowing – super!
2013 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Les Caillerets
Fresh and clean – maybe a little stony too. A little more CO2 here so harder to judge – but the acidity is super, so is the density of flavour. Clearly the most interesting wine so far coupled to the most interesting length. More contemplative finishing – super balanced, covetable wine.
2013 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Folatières
A normal volume here in 2013 as there was no hail.
This nose is less obviously like the other wines – yell, ripe fruit as an accent to the freshness. Wider in the mouth, super intensity from this silky palate – insinuating flavour here. Again a burst of flavour after the mid-palate – excellent.
2013 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Clos de la Pucelle
Aha! Here the nose is clearly different – fresh but with a depth of citrus fruit aroma. Again CO2 but more intensity of flavour too. I feel there’s more concentration – but that’s hard to judge with the gas. But ouf! A shock of extra flavour in the finish. Super!
A fresh and clean, slightly sugared nose. Round and wide – the flavour less obviously about ripe fruit – much more mineral – and there’s super acidity again. Once more an aftershock of fine, intense flavour that holds in concentrated fashion, fading only very slowly. Great.
2013 Corton-Charlemagne
Concentrated, fruit aromas with a faint oak spice (33% new). Full and round in the mouth and really concentrated. Fine balance though still with a little distracting coconut in the finish. A bundle of energy this wine – a bravissimo performance.
2013 Bâtard-Montrachet
Here from a new, faintly toasty barrel. Textured but with fine balance – actually very good freshness. This is a very fine, not a fat Bâtard.
2013 Chevalier-Montrachet, Clos des Chevaliers
Here from a 2 year-old barrel. Fresh with an intense lemon skin core. Also beautifully intense, mineral flavour – a flavour that continues to grow after you spit. Worthy of the label!