Château du Meursault part 2 – 2014

Update 24.12.2015(23.12.2015)billn

DSC08934Tasted in Meursault with Stéphane Follin-Arbelet, 08 December 2015.

Domaine de Château du Meursault
Rue du Moulin Foulot
21190 Meursault
Tel: +33 3 80 26 22 75
www.chateau-meursault.com

As noted in part 1 we only covered the white wines then, so here’s a second visit to cover the reds – and at least in hectares, there’s more pinot than chardonnay, but in the last vintages, perhaps more bottles of white…

Stéphane on 2014 reds:
“Very tasty and easy to appreciate. I would drink before the 2013s, which have a colder side.”

The wines…

None of the wines were bottled, they plan to start with the Bourgogne in January. Simply a great set of wines, and it seems that it’s not just me that thinks so; in the most recent issue of World of Fine Wine, there was a blind-tasting of 2012 Côte de Beaune reds. The winning wine was from Camille Giroud (Corton Clos du Roi) and the second place was taken by the Volnay Clos des Chênes from here.

Stéphane notes that “It was really important here, and starting in 2012, to move to the small cases for collecting the grapes at harvest, before optical triage. No whole-clusters in 2012-14 because of the hail. Optical triage machine removed all the hailed berries so no dry taste.”

2014 Bourgogne du Château
From near Aloxe Boutières and another vine from Pommard – 5.6 hectares worth.
There’s a depth of aroma here, more limited width. In the mouth this has muscle, great shape and fine flavour – really on another level vs what the nose suggests. Tasty fruit in the mid-palate and very good finishing. Rather good.

2014 Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Les Peuillets
Three parcels covering 1.9 hectares. The first vines harvested each year.
Good depth of nice fruit aroma here. Big in the mouth, nicely layered flavour that comes in bright but cushioned waves. Good line and shape. A very nice wine. Yum!

2014 Beaune 1er Cent Vignes
Two hectares of mainly mid-slope vines.
A hint of oak spice but bright fruit mixes with minerals – very inviting. Big, bright but not strident. Complex, a nice texture to the cushioning tannin – and no dryness. Really expressive and mouth-watering finish. Super!

2014 Beaune 1er Teurons
The first time separated by the team, more than 0.5 ha of mid-slope vines – very warm here so ripens very quickly. Only 2-3 barrels after the hail.
High tones, flowers and oak spice. Direct, lithe and fresh, an extra density of mid-palate flavour and super energy. Bright and complex finishing too. Delicious and refreshing.

2014 Beaune 1er Les Fevres
Just as the slope increases at the top of cent vignes, this is Fevres – 0.61 hectares of 40 year-old vines. This is the only other producer of Fevres that I know after Chanson.
Deeper, rounder more complex nose – very inviting indeed. Lithe, mouth-watering flavour. Extra intensity of fruit, very concentrated without richness or fat, supple and long. Fine finishing too – bravo. Actually more interesting than pre-bottled wine of Chanson showed…

2014 Beaune 1er Les Greves
2 hectares and 4 parcels, two at the bottom, two mid-slope – Les 5 Journeaux.
Fine airy top notes but certainly tighter below. Quite large in the mouth, but lithe and like the Fevres without imposing any weight – but there is concentration and intensity. The fruit in the mid-palate is high-toned, almost floral and there’s a modest but appealing base of minerality too. Exceptional length here.

2014 Pommard 1er Clos des Epenots
From 5 parcels that amount to an impressive 3.6 hectares – but delivered a mere 12hl/ha.
Deep, comforting, with spiced flowers. Endlessly mouth-watering flavour. A richness of flavour but not richness of texture (fat). Starting with cool fruit but the flavour just goes on and on, very wide finishing. Bravo!
2014 Volnay 1er Clos des Chênes
‘Every year the best grapes of the domaine, 2.6 ha on the upper part of the hill with white soil.’
Needs some warming in the glass as the nose starts rather tight, but here is a beautiful finesse of floral aroma. Very wide, good depth of flavour a more focused intensity of flavour. More to wait for than Epenots and different too, not better, but certainly excellent.

2014 Corton
0.6 ha from Rognets and Vergennes – above Ladoix an old quarry, hot, not much soil. Planted in 1965.
Very inviting, round and almost cushioned nose with a very faint wood accompaniment. Lithe, fresh, penetrating flavour, less wide than the last couple but finely textured and supple flavoured. Here is a delicious wine that’s not really in the direct and intense Corton vernacular. Concentrated and intense for sure but very approachable also…

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