Tasted in Meursault with Romaric Chavey, 21 October 2015.
Domaine Chavy-Chouet
31 Rue de Mazeray
21190 Meursault
Tel: +33 3 80 21 61 74
www.chavy-chouet.com
There’s a big extension to the cuverie going on here, at the back of the domaine. There will be 4x the space to work with, and store, the wines. It’s a shame then that they are not allowed to have windows facing the vines, even the colour of the building is mandated – In New-Zealand this would be a brilliant panoramic feature with the vineyards spreading out before your eyes – the view is only over vines to the RN! Apparently, neighbours are ‘Monument Historic’s so it is not allowed!
Romaric on 2015:
“The harvest started on the 29th August, the day after getting back from holiday! All was ripe with a good balance, and not super high degrees; 11.8° for Bourgogne to 13° for Meursault-Charmes. So 60 pickers completed 14 hectares in 5 days. The grapes were warm, the fermentations were quite fast and without much bourbe (fine, solid material). Reds also good, average quantities but nicely clean and balanced.”
Romaric on 2014:
“We lost a large part of the potential harvest due to hail. We made some style changes this year trying to avoid a patisserie element, so I stopped completely battonage which we did 5 or 6 times before. Looking for more vivacity – don’t like acid wines but do like balance and I’m happy with the result, which is less rich.”
The wines…
I have to admit that on this particular day, the reds were a little unusual, and not to my taste, the Bourgogne blanc too – but the others seemed super.
2014 Bourgogne Les Femelottes
One parcel in the Puligny area of 2 hectares – below the villages vines but also before Route National – so 12 k bottles. 1 additional hectare was planted last year – a new purchase in the same vineyard which was planted with pinot before, so eventually there will be 3 hectares of this. 8 months elevage in 4-5 yo barrels before bottling/assembling. It’s a big cuvée so will be bottled in 2 lots, this from the second bottling, which has been in bottle for 2 weeks.
A high-toned, precise, citrus nose – pretty. Weight a certain roundness. The flavour is interesting, a little like citrus skin, but salted in the finish. Long finishing and tasty here too, the main flavour is a little non-standard it seem to me but not to dislike.
Mainly the rest of these saw 11 months in barrel and then time in tank before the bottling.
2014 Puligny-Montrachet Les Enseignieres
A more overt, fresh, but ripe lemon fruit of fine clarity and depth. Fuller, silkier, finely balanced, a little lemon skin again, this is a nice wine, rather young I would say, but with great potential.
From just south of Tessons
A fresh, mineral and exciting nose with a depth of green herb edged with modest reduction. Joyous, wide fresh, sweetened leading edge of acidity. A big peak of flavour following in the mp. Nicely textured, this is a super wine.
Not so wide but lovely depth of aroma here – mainly fruit – fresh lemon yellow. Again, joyous acidity and freshness wrapped in a faintly cushioned, silky texture. Lovely finishing flavour.
2014 Meursault 1er Les Charmes
One parcel in the middle of the slope, almost at the limit of the vineyard before Puligny.
A more waxy textured nose, with faint gingerbread below. Actually here is a little more structure and a little more intensity, despite the acidity being more wrapped in concentration. Very good structure and flavour here. A little mineral, almost salted burst of finishing flavour accented with a little dry extract. Very fine!
2014 Meursault Clos des Corvées de Citeaux
A fuller, slightly savoury nose, a hint less exciting. Unlike the nose the texture and freshness are very nice indeed, here like the early wines is something that reminds me of citrus skin in the flavour – its not my favourite but I don’t expect that it will be everlasting. A nice finish again, holding a fine line of good flavour. Less overt energy vs a couple here, but well-balanced all the same.
Les rouges
2014 Bourgogne Rouge La Taupe
Just across the RN74 road behind the wall of Château Pommard. Old vines of small yield but concentration. 70 year-old vines. Fully destemmed and only remontage, trying to extract very slowly.
Deep, almost stewed fruit but with a hint of gooseberry – like de Vogue 2010s. Fresh, wide, lithe with only a modest base of tannin, again a little of the flavour from the nose on the palate – stewed fruit, not unlikeable but a bit different.
2014 Pommard 1er Les Chanlins
Next to Volnay at the top of the hill, only modestly hailed in 14 – so lost only 30%. Very steep on white limestone soil.
Again, a deep and concentrated stewing fruit aroma. Wide and concentrated in the mouth, with a lovely intensity of flavour. Not quite sweet, getting bigger after the mid-palate and again holds a good line of finishing flavour. This is a wine to wait for I think. – at least a couple of years for it to become less ‘frank’…