Tasted in Volnay with Pascal Roblet, 07 November 2018.
Domaine Roblet-Monnot
11 rue de la Combe
21190 Volnay
Tel: +33 6 74 21 82 04
Pascal an 2018:
“2018 was a year that I found complicated. No big problems, but we had about three very difficult weeks for the mildew. Then there was the question of how to choose the date of harvest followed by slightly slow fermentations – but they are now done. I’m pretty sure it won’t be a homogenous vintage. All my malos are also done which is quite rare for me, but I’m happy with aromas right now. I think it’s a great vintage as it’s something without excess in any direction – and we certainly can’t say that about the year!”
Pascal an 2017:
“I think that 2017 is a lovely vintage. Like 2018 it was also an early vintage but I chose to harvest from about 05 or 06 September – so much later than in 2018.”
The wines…
Only my second visit here, the first I loved, but I waited to return as there was so little wine in 2016, but the 2017s were great – indeed fabulous! These were the most impressive wines of all my Côte de Beaune visits – I love the finesse and precision of the wines here in this vintage. It’s not a question of volume, but the wines are so long. I hope that Pascal still looks upon them well, as he lost his mother not long after I visited.
Pascal will rack in March and bottle in April to June.
2017 Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune
A dark, vibrant red fruit nose. Very silky starting, a little grain after the middle. A lovely blend of concentration and freshness. Vibrant finishing too.
All destemmed
Ooh – that’s a simply beautiful nose with a depth of silky dark red fruit bordered by perfect violets – yes! Mouth-filling, with energy, sucrosity. Dynamic delicious wine – bravo
Pascal’s father is called Francois, and one of his sons too. 25% whole clusters in this one
A deeper register to this nose. More considered and tight. A touch of gas. Higher toned fruit notes with lots of floral accents – a touch more of tannin showing. The finesse of the finish outdoes the Pommard! Sooo good!
2017 Volnay 1er Cru
Robardelles and Ormeaux in a new 400l barrel about 25% wc
A big nose, concentrated ripe dark red fruit. More drive, beautiful texture, long, layered a touch of oak again, leave this two to three years its delicious all the same. Excellent.
2017 Volnay 1er Brouillards
All destemmed
Ooh, that’s a deep but clear and expressive nose. A touch of gas, wide clean – a clarity that reminds me of some Voillot 05 Brouillards – excellent… blueberry and violet says Pascal…
All whole cluster
A sort of fresh almond on the nose just like d’Angerville yesterday. Some gas – cushioned texture slightly tannic, but very fine. A presence here rather than a weight of extract. Hmm, layered finish, waves that creep up on you – potentially great. The gas is probably because the last grams of sugar were only fermented close to the harvest.
Also all wc, just thirty metres from the top part of the clos des Ducs
Ooh – what a nose – and these wines are so cold too! Vibrant, expressive depth of beautifully pure fruit – yes! Full, no gas, layers of concentration, weight in the mid and finish – big, concentrated wine. Less energetic more contemplative, but such a weight of practically mineral flavour on the finish. Great but like the Taillepieds, be patient!
2015 Volnay St.Julien
Only just starting to commercialise the 15s…
A wine with plenty of young colour. Volume of aroma, more diffuse but also more complex than the 17s. Big in the mouth, full of tannin, mouth-filling tannin, full, a wine of round form but still power. So persistent but too young. I got the vintage right.
Les blancs – labelled Domaine Nerthus
Racked last week:
2017 Bourgogne Aligoté
Vines in Hautes Côtes, no sulfur until racked, and racked without lees
Ooh that’s a nice and vibrant nose – juicy pineapple style. Direct, great line and freshness, still with that pineapple fruit. Deliciously different and with a very sneaky length. Revelatory to realise (when told) that this is actually aligoté!
2017 Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune
Racked in September with plenty of lees, so still a leesy nose.
Ooh, that’s different, deep, some vibrancy of flavour, plenty of herb, but no sulfur style here for sure. Full, but fresh, depth of texture, just a fabulous thing from the mid palate onwards, the nose isnt my style today, it needs work…