François Mikulski – 2016

30.10.2017billn

Tasted in Meursault with François Mikulski, 06 October 2017.

François Mikulski Earl  
7 Route Nationale 74
21190 Meursault
Tel: +33 3 80 21 25 11
www.domainemikulski.fr

François on 2017:
I’m happy with 2017. We lost a little of our bourgogne from the plain – that was the frost. In terms of yields we are little below the maximums for the appellations. The reds, in general, seem to have more yield than the whites – but the most important thing was that all were ripe!

François on 2016:
Last year:
I have to say that I’m satisfied with the final quality of the wines, but the quantity is a catastrophe. We lost 70% of our whites. The wines are still fermenting but analyses are very good, reds are now finished fermentation of-course. Some sectors really suffered – maybe 75% lost, but we had good rain at a good time, without which we would easily have been minus 80% volume. 1999 also had a lot of rain taken up by the vines, but that was a very different vintage both before and after the rain – this time it didn’t affect the balance.

This year:​
It’s not always that smaller yield equals better wine – particularly in whites – but these are very interesting. Globally we are minus 60% in volume, though it was much worse in Meursault villages, aligoté and Bourgogne blanc. Just Charmes and Genevrières were normal. Gouttes d’Or was almost completely lost. Santenots was also 60% down.

“I will need to offer a little 2015 to offset the loss on the 2016s – prices will probably will stay unchanged, but I will make the final decision in December.

The wines…

​No new oak used for this 2016 vintage.

I’m clearly tasting quite early in the elevage of these wines, but it’s equally clear that it’s a great cellar this year!

2016 Bourgogne Pinot Noir
10 hl/ha.
Bright, generous, fresh – a lovely berry nose. Hmm, but richness of texture, almost to a 1er cru level. Great bourgogne bravo!

2016 Volnay 1er Santenots du Milieu
18 hl/ha in 2016 but it was 50 hl/ha this year – never seen that before!
A nose that’s less overt than the bourgogne though with more depth and a similar crunchy berry impression. Similar fat and texture to the bourgogne but with much more depth and finishing extract. Excellent, but needs to find just a hint more energy in the final part of elevage.

Les blancs…

2016 Bourgogne Aligote
​Another wine from just from 10 hl/ha.
A typically golden aligoté nose. A hint of gas on the palate but wait and there’s beautiful texture. Simply exceptional mid-palate and finishing density – but balance too. Bravo!

2016 Bourgogne Chardonnay
To be bottled with rest in February, with fining as required in November.
A bright nose with a little more density. In the mouth this delivers a layered flavour. Lovely layers of finishing flavour too. It needs more work but it may end up as good as the aligoté.

2016 Meursault
All the separate villages cuvées were blended for this.
Palpable weight of aroma here – very impressive. Hmm, lovely, there is energy, a little minerality. This is showing a lot. Super.

2016 Meursault 1er Les Poruzots
A higher toned nose, mineral and wide. Mineral, mouth-watering with sweetness, layered, unfolding delivery. Bravo. This will be super, just a great finish – bravo!

2016 Meursault 1er Aux Charmes
Vines planted in 1930 and 1998 the different parcels, one bottom, the other in the middle of Charmes.
Wide, classic nose – very attractive. Here is a little extra gas, but the layers of flavour remain excellent and intense. Lasting, wide flavour. Super.

2016 Meursault 1er Genevrières
A vibrant nose, slightly reductive. Here there is some power and only slowly the flavours melt in a more complex, nutty finale. Very nice indeed.

And to finish, why not a quick tour of already open 2015s?:

2015 Meursault
The nose is direct but the finish is an absolute honey…

2015 Meursault Meix Chavaux
Hmm, now that’s an inviting nose. Width and complexity and perfume. Hmm, this is wide and delicious, not incisive but balanced and really delicious.

2015 Meursault Limozin
Only two barrels one was new, so there is a little more spice from that on the nose. Layers, really beautifully mouth-watering sucrosity – delicious flavour – bravo.

2015 Meursault 1er Les Poruzots
A very nice floral element in here. Lots of fat to the texture. But bright, mouth-watering delicious flavour.

2015 Meursault 1er Aux Charmes
Brighter in the nose – a little flowers. A little more muscle, honey, lingering flavour. Also delicious but very different.

2015 Meursault 1er Gouttes d’Or
More volume of aroma, more top notes – very inviting. Some muscle here, some structure and beautiful mouth-watering flavour. Long, long, long, delicious wine. I could spend a lot of time with this – bravo!

2015 Meursault 1er Genevrières
Here the nose is just a little tighter though wider, slightly smoky. Beautifully textured, beautifully Meursault, wait another year-plus for the structure to soften a little more, but it’s so good.

2015 Meursault 1er Aux Charmes 1913
Delicate, complex but growing nose. Just an easy, perfectly balanced, beautifully complex wine that is gorgeous. Like the last Richebourg in any tasting, not for spitting!
2015 Pommard
Hmm – here is dimension of aroma with highly attractive ripe fruit. Supple, layered wine, very modest tannin but far from modest layers of delicious flavour. I’ll take a jero!

2015 Volnay 1er Santenots du Milieu
Wider, more floral, slightly more evolved – 2 days open – but the narrow start widens and widens, the finish is really great.

2015 Meursault 1er Caillerets
High toned, intense – the first vintage since 2011 due to previous hails. Wide, concentrated, a little extra tannin, and lots and lots of concentration. Holding well. A 1 year-old barrel. The last drops in the glass smell drop dead gorgeous.

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