Tasted in Meursault with Jean-Philippe, 06 October 2022.
Domaine Jean-Philippe Fichet
2 Rue de la Gare
21190 Meursault
Tel: +33 3 80 21 69 34
www.domaine-fichet-meursault.com
More reports with Domaine Jean-Philippe Fichet.
Jean-Philippe on 2021:
“The bourgognes delivered about 60% of a normal vintage, the amount slowly reducing as you reached the hillside where we hardly had 15% of a normal harvest. In Tessons I hope to have 22 barrels but had 5. I think the big thing was more the snow than the frost. There was rain this year but enough to support the mildew rather than to replenish the water table – the hillsides remain terribly dry. The places with more clay are not so bad but where it’s more sandy or the mother rock is closer to the surface – like the hillsides, it’s something different. Our 2021s because of the cuverie work had some elevage a little colder than normal – in the cold – but otherwise nothing has changed so all the wines are currently in tank as in other years. I think the 21s are superb – I think the 22s are great too but let’s wait for those!”
The wines…
Not all the wines were singing from the same hymn sheet the day that I visited but those that were singing were brilliant. Always a great address in Meursault…
‘The famous lost cepage thats coming back into focus – 30 years ago we had big grapes and lots of them, in 2018 we managed 13°, in the 80s sometimes it wasn’t higher than 9°!’
Broad, fresh, forward – vibrant yellow fruit too. Ooh, that’s incisive and clean – rippling with energy. Beautiful, textbook (for my taste!) aligoté*
*“The problem with aligoté was if it was frosted you had nothing but not frosted it could easily support 150 or 200 hl/ha – that doesn’t mean that it was ripe – but at 60-70 hl/ha you have a lovely quality, but that takes work…”
Since the 2019 vintage, Jean-Philippe is using the label Côte d’Or for his Bourgognes:
2021 Bourgogne Côte d’Or Blanc
Vines in the commune of Meursault – from the north and south of the village. Elevage in a mix of 500 and 600-litre barrels – here the soils have the most clay of the domaine – ‘I’m looking for something easy to appreciate – a tasty wine.’
Again there’s a nicely incisive style to this wine. This is lovely, steely fresh and intense but without any harshness
2021 Bourgogne Côte d’Or Blanc Vieilles-Vignes
From Pellans and Millerandes. All in 500 and 600 l barrels. Bourgogne Côte d’Or from this vintage wasn’t indicated as such before.
The nose not quite in place today, a little fermentary. Wide, bright, fermentary flavours too – to return to this one after elevage.
2021 Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune
Usually 65% domaine grapes, in Auxey. ‘Typically a big restaurant clientele for this in the north-west of France to go with their fruit-de-mer dishes…’
Smaller, more direct aromas with plenty of precision. Rounder but bubbling with energy. Again beautifully shaped with citrus energy. A nice accent of finishing tannin today too.
2021 Monthelie Blanc
Vines with a lovely position with their backs to the north – it’s hot here in the afternoons. ‘The grapes are always golden here.’ White clay soil. An aperitif wine for Jean-Philippe, made from young 13-year-old vines; ‘They need more time, maybe another 5-10 years.’
Rounder, fuller. Rippling with energy – the minerality comes first then the tongue starts to sizzle – oh yes!
From Les Nampoillons from the side of Auxey towards St.Romain. Here the soil is more limestone and schist. Latest grapes to be harvested. ‘Historically they matured but always stayed green, but that’s changing a little in recent years.’
Broader with more overt higher tones – fine yellow citrus here. Here is a wine with more structure, great shape – melting with intense citrus – for keeping a while but great wine!
2021 Chassagne-Montrachet
A nicely saline nose – though not a nose of power. The shape and fresh layers of flavour in the mouth are very delicious. Almost a smaller version of the Auxey but slightly more sophisticated texturally. That’s a very delicious and fine wine, beautifully finishing.
From 5 terroirs, including Les Clous, Chaumes de Narvaux, Limozin and others – usually 2-thirds hillside, one-third from the plain. ‘I’ve really tried to make Meursault in this style since 1996, precision and less oak was my starting point.’
A calmer nose but classic Meursault with a faint ginger-spiced bread. Bubbling, mineral – a hint serious but practically fluid in style before holding a tenaciously long line of finishing interest – bravo villages.
2021 Meursault Meix sous Château
From a Clos in the middle of Meursault village. Limestone higher up and with clay below, ‘the most buttery of the domaine.’
Not as forward yet with a little more aromatic direction – here more high tones again with airy yellow citrus. Slightly rounder, really fine texture, a different style of finish – really wide, less intense but still very long – a different interpretation (by the place…)
These vines, under Charmes, planted in 1923 – ‘so a big birthday is coming…’
More open aromas combine with more citrus depth. Fuller, a little hint of generosity but this is wide, pure and intense – yes Menten lemons says JP. Simply super wine! Great finishing – bravo!
2021 Meursault Chevaliers
A width of less deep aroma. Actually subtle and engaging – always with precision. A little more mineral direction, slowly more mouthwatering but here always the minerality has the upper hand over the delicious citrus.
More airy and just a little floral to mingle with yellow citrus high tones. Fuller in the middle – I like the shape of this but it’s a little tight at the core – it needs to relax but there’s super length. I expect a minimum of excellent – usually, it’s great.
‘Always hard to drink after the Meursaults…’ The vines that are closest to Meursault Charmes.
Hmm – now that’s a little more vertical – depth and high tones, just less wide. A very subtle oak spice at the base that I expect will be gone in 2-3 months. Hmm – here is a super intensity but with width too. Then a burst of electric flavour in the middle and finishing flavour that holds just so impressively. That will be an assuredly a great wine.