Tasted in Puligny with Philippe Jomain, 22 October 2019.

Jomain Frères
1 Rue Abreuvoir
21190 Puligny-Montrachet
Tel: +33 3 80 21 93 46
www.vins-jomain.fr

Philippe’s summary of the recent vintages:

Philippe on 2019:
“This year we took some frost in the bourgognes, and the villages a little too – but the 1ers were less touched – only about 15 hl/ha was the result in the bourgognes. The lack of water in the summer also contributed to a deficit – in the end we had 28-29 hl/ha for the domaine, so it’s approaching only half a harvest. The alcohols were a little high but the acidities are quite good – they will be wine ‘hors norm’ – but the balance could be good.”

Philippe on 2018:
“2018 – if you can’t be happy this year you never can! We have volume of-course but there is quality behind that too. We started harvesting 1st September – it was 25 August in 2003. A more normal yield than some – below the rendement and with good quality again. We have had lots of deficits over the last years so it was good to have something that id describe as ‘normal’”

The wines…

Many tasty wines, but the 1ers seemed just a little short of my expectations this year – at least at this stage in tasting, post-bottling.

All 18s bottled – just before the 2019 harvest.

2018 Bourgogne Aligoté
A fresh if slightly tight nose. Nicely open, mineral, easy wine with a little touch of fat – nicely finishing on a mineral note.

2018 Bourgogne Chardonnay
Parcels in commune of Puligny which are blended. Half barrel and half tank elevage. Not started with the new cote d’or label but will probably in 2018.
A little more depth of aroma. Ooh – here is an attack but without sharpness, the acidity a little to the fore with a modest rigour – but this is more due to the lime-style fruit – not the roundness of lemon. A wine of vigour and long too – I’d probably wait a year for this to settle – but this is a good and characterful glass.

2018 St.Aubin 1er Les Frionnes
Still wine with plenty of concentration at the core of the nose. A little more supple rounder in the texture but with concentration – saline, mineral and with a nice peak of finishing flavour – really a nice mouth-watering finish.

2018 Puligny-Montrachet
A blend of two parcels. Below the average volume this year – almost resembling 2016 – about 10 barrels less – that’s a lot!
That’s a nice – not particularly forward – but fresh nose of pretty and pure citrus. More supple again, a touch of fat and plenty of concentration – but a wine that’s structural and melting with flavour from the core. Tasty in the finish again…

2018 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Les Perrières
Another guarded nose but one that’s pure and shaded toward the floral. Here is clarity, structure, no hard edges and a growing weight of middle flavour. Really a good wave of mouth-watering flavour in the finish. Slightly saline too. A tasty wine.

2018 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Les Combettes
That’s a deep nose, mineral – perhaps touched by a faint reduction – but not showing much distinction. A little smoky oak, a depth of flavour and concentration too – slowly mouthwatering. There’s a nice texture from this overtly mineral wine – but it offers not that much to distinguish itself today – despite some lovely finishing dimensions of flavour.

2018 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Pucelles
Hmm – here is an open nose – of fresh dimension of both fruit and minerality. Wide, mouth-filling, growing layers to the flavour – here with a bit of oak – but this is fine and relaxed over the palate. It’s a very good wine if not a great Pucelles today. But broad, minerally delicious finishing!

More reports from Domaine Jomain