Tasted in Meursault with Pierre-Henri Rougeot, 29 October 2020.
Domaine Rougeot Père et Fils
6, rue André Ropiteau
21190 Meursault
Tel: +33 3 80 21 20 59
www.domainerougeot.com
More reports for Domaine Rougeot Père et Fils
Pierre-Henri on 2020:
“In 2020 we asked ourselves lots of questions; there was water but not always when we needed it, we certainly had a deficit in July and August, those vines more susceptible to the dry, on the hills, showed their stress – we don’t have a lot of vines in the plain. Fortunately, we only had a couple – Passetoutgrains and Monthelie – where the vines showed their suffering. Our whites had good levels of technical ripeness, we had more issues with the reds, sometimes blocked, sometimes on paper ready but to taste not ready. Some vines ready, others not – so not so satisfying. In the end, correct volumes, fine acidity and degrees of 12.8° to 13.4° so I’m very happy with that.”
Pierre-Henri on 2019:
2019 has lovely ripeness for the reds, maybe the whites have a touch too much alcohol – maybe. They are enthusiastic, energetic wines. I think a great vintage in reds – we had only 25 hl/ha but with stems that could be used in the vinifications. The whites are rich but they have a good balancing acidity too.
The wines…
Pierre seemed non-commital about the level of alcohols in his whites but as at practically all domains this autumn, the balanced seemed excellent and not hot wines were to be found. Generally, excellent whites and reds just a notch better! Impressive.
Just on the other side of RN in Meursault, 65-year-old vines. No added sulfur, racked 1 month ago. Currently with a fining.
That’s beautiful – aromatic, round, beckoning – a lovely nose. Wide, mouth-watering over the palate. Long, slightly saline, grapy flavour. That’s a great aligoté!
All the following in barrel, not to be racked for 5-6 months:
2019 Bourgogne Côte d’Or La Monetine
Near Sous la Velle
A deep nose, low sulfur nose. Expressive, mouth-filling, juicy even. Comfortable, delicious and long. Excellent BCD
2019 Bourgogne Clos des 6 Ouvrées
Despite middle of the village placement, this is not far from Chevaliers – usually the last harvested of the chardonnays here.
An aroma, suggesting freshness and minerality. More direct, more juicy, wide, modestly mineral. A box of energy here.
Vines that are almost on the border of Puligny under Charmes – there’s soil here but also a base of limestone.
A smaller nose today. But nothing small about the beautiful mouth-filling flavour, shape and energy here. So mouth-watering, so delicious. Bravo Bourgogne!
Too small a harvest in Monthelie in 19, ‘it suffered a lot.’
West-facing, 90+ yo vines, similar exposure to the Monthelie – only 28 hl/ha in this vintage.
A much wider and more vibrant nose. Great volume – similar to the last Bourgogne. I like the structure and the small accent of salinity. Wide, complex and gorgeous finishing. Excellent maybe great St.Romain.
2019 St.Romain
This North-East facing, from two vines – Sous la Velle and Sous la Château
That’s a fine nose – narrow but with clarity of fresh fruit. More attack, more freshness, a little green herb in here, mouth-watering, then widening – extra juicy with a faint finishing tannin. Citrus finishing. Super- yum!
2019 Meursault Sous la Velle
Biggest parcel of the domaine with over 2 ha, harvested in 2 days sometimes a bit more. 45-65-yo vines. On one part plenty of clay here that holds on well to water another part more limestone.
A width of aroma, some depth too, with a certain roundness. Mouth-filling, good energy and framed with a modest textural tannin. Depth of finishing flavour here, holds well, salivating!
2019 Meursault 1er Charmes
65-yo vines from bottom to the middle of the vineyard.
Not the biggest nose – but here with an attractive vibration of energy – that’s a great invitation. Big, but neither fat not overly intense. The mouth-watering mid-palate is just so juicy. A peak of flavour in the finish – just where I want it to be. Very long. That’s a simply excellent Charmes.
2019 PH Rougeot, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Morgeot Petit Clos (Négoce)
60-yo vines. Bought in must.
Another vibrant nose – great! Some gas here. But the whole thing is an energetic bundle of deliciousness – mouth-watering, slightly sweet agrume fruits, finishing with the textural tannin on the tongue.
Les Reds:
‘Very low volume in reds – the whites not bad:’
2019 Bourgogne Côte d’Or Les Vaux
More chalky soil here, the vines are practically behind the cuverie of Coche-Dury
Complex, perfumed, lots of wc aroma but in a fine form. Wide, a little tannic texture but no grain. Layered and perfumed finishing. Very tasty…
Clay soil, the vines in north Meursault in the direction Volnay. This pinot fin, a lower yield than the last which gave 35 and is pinot droit
Also perfumed from the stems but with much more sophistication. Mouthfilling, lots of flavour complexity, tons of energy, plenty of structure – wait at least 2 years before visiting but that’s a great wine. Bravo!
Really Rue au Porc, at the bottom of the village next to the RN74, is the lieu-dit. More gravely, sandy soil here – there’s a stream nearby. 0.9 ha. Two plants here, they keep the pinot fin for the domaine.
Lots of colour here. Wow nose – peak, perfect whole cluster with darker fruit. It’s Pommard; it’s big, there’s energy and there’s structure – but slowly you also note the depth of finishing flavour, the great texture too. Of course, you have to be patient but this will be worth any wait! Grand finishing!
2019 Volnay 1er Santenots
Dessous, under Leroy next to the Hospices parcels
Here’s a much tighter nose – the most compact of all these with just a faint wc perfume, but a proper perfume. Wide, deep, lots of tannin, but tannin without grain – you have the astringence all the same. I’m furry lipped – but this will be excellent – give it 7-8 years, only…
2019 Côte de Nuits Villages La Plante au Bois
From Comblanchien, mid-slope, pinot fin, ‘microscopic’ yield in 2019 – 18 hl/ha
More width and silkiness to this darker nose. Mouth-filling, plenty of tannin like the Santenots but just a little less drying. Long and vibrantly flavoured in the finish.
2019 PH Rougeot, Gevrey-Chambertin En Reniard (Négoce)
35-year-old vines on limestone, direction Morey, the vines below the RN74 and Aux Etelois.
What a floral nose, but with depth of darker fruit in support too. Like many here, mouth-filling, but with a clarity of flavour that’s much more evident – the tannin is strong but much less astringent. Finishing more modestly, but still wide and mouth-watering. A beauty!
60-year-old vines, just below Croix des Champs in the flats of Gevrey – the major part of Grand Champs, despite the ‘Grand’ is regional.
Ooh! Great nose alert – not big but dark, complex and simply gorgeously perfumed. A little more overtly structured – but all good – indeed I like the shape of this. It’s more incisive, more chiselled as the French would say. Long slow waves of finishing flavour That’s excellent, practically great villages.