Tasted in Gevrey with Pierre-Jean Roty, 28 November 2018.
Domaine Joseph Roty
24 Rue Mal de Lattre de Tassigny
21220 Gevrey-Chambertin
Tel: +33 3 80 34 13 59
The Rotys of Gevrey work in their own way, which means they like to show wines when they are ready for the market – so no 2017s here, only the super-16s!
Pierre-Jean on 2018:
“My sentiments are that it was a particular vintage, one of heat but not dry like 2003. We had lots of grapes at the start – very homogenous like 2007 – though without much rain they stayed quite millerandé. These days we seem to have classic vintages and then more warm vintages, and 18 is one of those warm vintages, but it could be greater than 2015 given its blend of balance and concentration. Lots of heterogeneity – starting our harvest 08 September – we had good acidity despite very little malic acid in the grapes. We added a little sugar but to keep the fermentation going longer – 12.5° to 14.5° natural – the latter was a record, though without over-ripeness we think. There was a lot of rain in the first half of the vintage so it wasn’t easy to get in the vines – it took a month and a half to open up my soils with the plough – usually I can do that in a week. There were some areas where mildew certainly struck us all.”
Pierre-Jean on 2016:
“The defining feature must be the Spring frost – we lost 50% of the domaine’s production. It was also a later harvest – quite a cool year but a fantastic maturity – we started harvesting the 27 September. Marsannay was really badly hit – 16 hl/ha. In Marsannay Boivins the grapes never really properly grew – there were a few cases to harvest only… Normally we have 22 cuvées, in 2016 only 15. The Marsannay white that remained went into the Bourgogne Blanc. The Marsannay cuvée has all the remaining lieu-dits mixed. Normally we sell some grapes in bulk each year, so in this vintage none were sold so some of the volume was recovered for the clients of the domaine – the volumes of Bourgogne and Marsannay being not too bad in the end.”
The wines…
Simply super wines, such a shame that the usual great selection of Marsannays was cut so short…
2016 Bourgogne Blanc
A mix of Marsannay and Gevrey near lieu-dit Sylvie including a high percentage of pinot blanc
A musty nose to start, the last drops are pleasantly floral. Full, depth of flavour, savoury style. Nice mid and finishing flavours though. I would carafe – this has a great finish.
Ooh, that has a beautiful fruit – such an inviting nose. Good volume and density, layers of fresh, unctuous (14%) delicious flavour. This is great.
2016 Côteaux Bourguignone
As I’m sure you’re all aware, 2012 was the first vintage where this label came into being; a replacement for the old Bourgogne Grand Ordinaire label. In this case the wine is 100% pinot noir form ‘very good’ parcels below Morey and Gevrey, all with oak-elevage (2-3 year-old barrels). Selection massalle from the family, planted by Joseph Roty about 35 years ago.
Bright, fresh, open, faintly but attractively phenolic nose. Plenty of volume, delicious and forward but perfectly fresh pinot fruit – a touch of tannin that says ‘patience’ but alround fabulousness for the price. And no need to rush – the 2010 of this is currently drinking beautifully chez moi!
A deep nose, like the last with faint phenolics. Big in the mouth, tannin, wide and fresh – big wine, for saving but simply great ‘Bourgogne’ – such a contrast to the style of 2017s…
The domaine now have 8.5 hectares in Marsannay, of-course the yields were decimated in 2016:
2016 Marsannay
From multiple parcels.
Good, not extra, colour. Concentrated and extra floral. Lots of volume, extra sucrosity and open complexity. Depth of tannin but all good – nothing that 1-2 years of patience won’t repay. Excellent and rewarding wine.
2016 Marsannay Champs St.Etienne
One of the lieu-dits with oldest history, nuns replanting in the 1600s – just like Chambertin.
A fresh width, very darker pinot though tighter below. Just a touch more elegance and a little more green complexity too – but the line and depth is certainly extra here. More finishing dimension of flavour – the tannin present but more covered.
2016 Côte de Nuits Villages
Was labeled Philippe Roty before. From Que de Hareng in Brochon, near Les Evocelles.
A wide freshness of aroma – with a growing floral component. Ooh – this is directly my new favourite, muscular, sleek, deliciously flavoured, mouth-watering layers of finishing flavour. The finish of the last Marsannay is more interesting, this more modest and sleek – but upfront this is fabulous…
2016 Gevrey-Chambertin
Usually an assembly of Platieres, Les Crais and Bas de Champerry.
Such colour. Hmm – a modest width but an attractive width of faintly spiced aroma. A little more volume, more concentration and certainly more depth of texture, faintly touched with tannin. Slow waves of very fine flavour radiating from the centre of the wine. A compact finish today but not to worry – it’s long.
2016 Gevrey-Chambertin Champs Chenys
About 0.5 hectares, all next to Charmes-Chambertin.
Vibrant and dark fruited – a fresh wine, not so very wide – but the last drops in the glass are so charming. Extra volume, extra freshness – a growing structure but a lovely clarity here too. Very different style vs the village.
2016 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Brunelle
Hmm – quite an airy freshness of fruit and flowers. Different again – the clarity and freshness of the Champs Chenys, but a depth and weight of flavour that’s slightly touched by a frame of tannic texture. Layered, delicious finishing flavour.
Ooh – now that’s a great and vibrant perfume. Weight, volume in the mouth, structure, melting, mouth-watering flavour – bravo villages – but be patient.
2016 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Fontenys
Hmm – not full power, not full-width, but inky and very inviting depth of aroma. Hmm, lots of vibrant flavour, energy, but still composed – easier to appreciate today than the Clos Prieur Bas, just as good.
Hmm, there’s that almost textured impression to the nose, the arm around the shoulders, that I love from this wine. Round, a fine-textured, mouth-filling volume. Layers of flavour. It could be more energetic, but it couldn’t be much more delicious – such a great weight of persistent finishing flavour – bravo!
A nose of depth and richness, slight pepper. Ooh that is beautiful, gorgeous, complex, more energy, actually easier than the Mazis, but with a little extra structure showing…
A wide, zen-like nose of pure fruit, accented with faint spice. Really an impressive blend of concentration yet freshness – not overtly rich, or indeed complex, but holding such a long line of flavour. Always the hardest to taste. Long, long in the reprise of flavour I note some tannin. This is usually perfection after 30 years – I see no reason to question that!