Tasted in Chassagne with Vincent, the 19 October 2017.
Domaine Vincent Dancer
23 Route de Santenay
21190 Chassagne-Montrachet
Tel: +33 3 80 21 94 48
www.vincentdancer.com
Vincent on 2017:
“Well, I’m content with the harvest – there’s certainly more than in 2016 – but that wouldn’t be too hard – we still lost 50% in 2017.
“Here, before the malo the acidities of 2016 and 2017 were practically the same, but after malo, I’ve the impression that the acidity is more present in 2017, lets see…”
Vincent on 2016s:
“In 2016 I lost 70% – I still lost 50% in 2017 though! I lost 100% of my Meursault Corbins and lost lots in Tête de Clos. The reds did okay, but I’m still happy… Fortunately in both vintages the grapes were very good. All the wines are now on their lees, in fact some still haven’t quite finished their alcoholic fermentations – which is similar to 2015 – they are faster in 2017 – most of the malos are already through in 2017. After the frost and rain it was a fine summer, nicely sunny with round tannins for the pinot. The weather also helped bring the harvest forward a little. We had good, small and concentrated grapes. But they are wines that need time for elevage to give their finesse and balance at the end of the palate – they started well from the beginning though.”
The wines…
Vincent: “I’m not pressed for bottling, I’ll wait for stability and will see after the winter, though I might start some at the start of next year. So far not a single gram of sulfur has been used! Only at bottling for those that have been done…”
A very tardy cellar for 206s as a number till hadn’t finished fermenting their sugars when I visited – but despite that, it is also a seriously great cellar of 2016s…
From two parcels of vines; one in Meursault near the ‘hopital’ and the other in Puligny.
A nice volume here, freshness and a faint citrussy herb. Supple, nice weight for the label and really fine, more Meursault style of flavour. Delicious, and very fine bourgogne.
From vines behind the house – Voillenots Dessus plus from La Bergerie near the route nationale.
Bright, vibrant inviting nose. Supple but freshly melting, absolutely delicious flavour. A hint of rigour right at the end but that’s just the stage of elevage – simply delicious, melting, juicy flavour!
From just under Tessons, older vines than the domaine’s Corbin.
Ooh this is even better – fine fresh, slightly spiced, classic Meursault. Hyper-delicious – what a set of wines! That finishing rigour is also here but what great stuff!
2016 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er La Romanée
A fine and direct nose. Wider, more relaxed, less definition – this has only recently finish its ferment. Super on the finish – wine in progress but with great potential.
2016 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Tête du Clos
From the highest plot of vines within Morgeot, planted in 1954. Vincent recovered these vines in 2000 and labelled with the lieu-dit Tête de Clos instead of Morgeot – the first to do so – others said ‘where’s that?’ Now it’s much better known. This has also not quite finished the fermentation.
Ooh, the nose seems in place already – vibrant! Hmm, wide, a beautiful wave of intense flavour, this has the potential to be superb. En attend!
2016 Meursault 1er Perrières
Vincent has very good neighbours; his vines sit between those of Lafon and Roulot.
Vibrant and fresh once more. Another wine that is slightly less well-defined at the start, but then bursts with waves of fine flavour. This will be super.
From 1952, these are the oldest vines of domaine – ‘good roots’ says Vincent! “I’m next to a meurger, and here perhaps it helped the temperature and I avoided most of the frost problems – I anyway have normally 20 hl/ha here and I’m at least fortunate that its constant.”
Vibrant, pure, though it’s a relatively modest nose. A little more flesh, but melting fresh flavour over the palate – an almost Meursault style of flavour this year but then a broad and delicious finishing wave of flavour. This will be great!
Les Rouges:
2016 Bourgogne Pinot Noir
A parcel in the commune of Pommard
Hmm, a depth of fruit here – but it’s not quite ready – this is still in elevage. Nice mouthfeel, good concentration and really excellent – indeed delicious fruit.
2016 Pommard Les Perrières
A more formed, pure and energetically fine fruit nose. Supple, beautifully clarity and energy, a different mid-palate flavour. Wide, slowly lingering. Fine, fine…
Ooh, a bigger aroma still – fine and pure. In the mouth this is lush but fresh, saline and complex. Bravo – easy.
2016 Pommard 1er Pezerolles
Ooh, a narrower, darker, also fresher nose. The palate is a little the same; fresher, blacker fruit, with layers of fine finishing flavour. Such a different character compared to comparatively close Montreventots, but it’s different soil… super wine. And there’s a little, lingering note of raisins that stays in my mouth, long after I’ve shaken hands with Vincent and started the engine of my car…