Tasted in Givry with Jean-Baptiste Bordeaux Montrieux, 10 October 2017. Pictured together with ​son André who joined the domaine in time for the harvest after working in Australia and also at Figeac.

Domaine Thénard  
7 Rue de L’Hôtel de ville
71640 Givry
Tel: +33 3 85 44 31 36

Fermentations are always late here as it’s a cold cellar – the 2016s are largely still fermenting. Jean-Baptiste prefers to make a longer elevage and only one cuvée from 2015 has been bottled so far, so we taste these 2015s.

​Jean-Baptiste on the 2017 vintage:
“2017 is the first vintage I’ve ever seen that needed not one gram of sugar. Givry was down 30% due to frost in reds and it was also hard to extract the juice on the whole, so we had even less, but the Côte d’Or was excellent. ”

​Jean-Baptiste on the 2016 vintage:
“​Little to harvest, whether Mercurey or Montrachet. Corton was okay, but Pernand with the combination of hails and frost was difficult. Givry was a bright spot with a good harvest.”

Jean-Baptiste on the 2015 vintage:
“The rain in the first week of August was a total blessing in 2015 as the maturity was blocked, but it wasn’t as bad as 2003. The last real catastrophe was 1984 – the vintage was late, blocked and hardly ripe – that was terrible. 1983 had a lot of rot but was still better than 1984. The last vintages have been ‘années fatigués’ after the hail. In 2015 we have some extraordinary things, but, again, not lots.”

“​Just one Givry has been bottled, but we will start on the rest now. The vintage was dry so the yields were modest – as much as 30% less than a fuller vintage.”

The wines…

It’s always tough to call wines at this domaine – before they are bottled – such is the approach to elevage here. But the 2015s are fine. There’s not much here that you need to make a special search for – at least in the context of the vintage – but pricing is usually ‘advantageous’ from the domaine’s ‘outlet’ in Givry…

2015 Givry Clos Cellier aux Moines
​Good medium-plus colour. Fragrant, forward nose, becoming floral. Volume, a little fat to the palate. Lots of flavour complexity, dried fruits and herbs here. Particularly Givry, less particularly pinot, but very tasty wine with lovely, lingering, flavour.

2015 Givry Les Bois Cheveaux ​
Here the nose is a little more diffuse – though some florals. Supple, with nice freshness – simply a delicious wine here – juicy too.

2015 Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Ile des Vergellesses ​
Just a little higher toned and riper. Accented by this barrel – faintly tannic, but long and again juicy. Long finishing, needs some air, but lots of potential here.

2015 Corton Clos du Roi​
Deeper, broader nose but with very pretty fruit. Supple, melting, plenty of structure, waves of finishing flavour – serious flavour here from a very young wine.

2015 Grands-Echézeaux ​
Lots of width, the nose only slowly opening above. More supple, layered and still with a little tannin. Here with a melting flavour. Really a top finish!

Les blancs:

2015 Givry Blanc ​
Some freshness and easy fruit. In the mouth good volume and freshness. A density of ripe but never cloying fruit. At its price level this is very fine – actually the finish is lovely.

2015 Givry 1er Cellier aux Moines ​
A little extra freshness here. More line, more mineral and combined with lovely texture. A lovely finish too. Delicious.

2015 Montrachet
​Why not taste from 3 barrels?
Seguin-Moreau: A faint struck match reduction. Extra sweetness but extra freshness too. Starts narrow, but then broadens in a beautiful wave of flavour. It starts modest, finishes great.
Chassin: Fresher, more floral nose. Modest starting again, but like the last, widens and widens. The finish is a broader thing but less powerful than the last.
Cadus: Possibly the least interesting nose. More direct attack and width, more obvious weight. None of these are new barrels. Make a mix of old and new barrels – ‘The blend is always superior to individual barrels’ says Jean-Baptiste.

And to finish, another red: