Tasted in Santenay with Anne-Marie & Jean-Marc Vincent, 19 November 2019.

Domaine Anne-Marie & Jean-Marc Vincent
3 Rue Sainte-Agathe
21590 Santenay
Tel: +33 3 80 20 67 37

​Jean-Marc on 2019:
“In 2019 lost about 1/3 of the harvest and only the frost was to blame. There was a mixture of ripe and unripe grapes too so picking on the right date was definitely a challenge.”

​Jean-Marc on 2018:
“2018 was a good vintage – of-course there’s global warming – we are certainly more linked to the sun these days – but my grandfather brought me up tasting vintages like 1959 and they were and still are great 60 years later so we can manage the warmth. I think the trend has to be to picking earlier for whites, we have to pick at close to 13° but there are other aromas and flavours than those linked to just to acidity. The pH’s of the whites are close to those of 2017 but it’s a completely different vintage of-course. For the reds it was an average crop of 38 hl/ha, and that was with reducing the number of shoots before flowering, and/or reducing the number of flowers. But if there is no rain, you have to accept a high alcoholic degree.”

The wines…

Very good reds, but for me, this is a great white wine vintage chez Anne-Marie and Jean-Marc – bravo!

2018 Santenay Les Potets Blanc
Near the casino. ‘I lost 40% to mildew. But its my best here – it seems mildew is the answer!’
A wider freshness of aroma – a sweet freshness. Hmm – that’s a lovely mineral middle, with energy – vibrant again, mouth-watering. Love the energy but it’s not an acid energy.

2018 Auxey-Duresses Le Hautes​
80 year-old vines, always small grapes always great quality, same quality as my last wines, just different
Hmm – that’s a fine and energetic nose – again. A little depth, a little more fat, mineral though – more composed but melting with beautiful texture and more minerals. Composed but with everything. Excellent wine!

2018 Santenay 1er Gravières​
A new plantation here this year that has 17k vines per hectare. This wine only at 14k
A more composed aromatic, also a little more floral. Fuller, rounder, a touch of gas that adds to the energy. Super finishing again – I’ve a slight preference for the Beaurepaire, but this is excellent.

2018 Puligny-Montrachet Corvées des Vignes ​
A little touch of caramel, but a vibration of minerality below. Vibrant in the mouth for sure – bubbling complexity, faintly saline – ooh that’s got a proper tension. Delicious! Simply excellent, I think maybe even more upside potential.

Les Rouges:​

2018 Santenay Vieilles-Vignes
Just two lieu dits principally, Les Poirons and Les Hâtes, from over 50-year-old vines. Like the whites, elevage without sulfur until the wine is assembled.
A pretty nose, sweet jam, but complex and accented with spice. Driving but with a width of flavour too – lovely grain – fresh, tasty finishing.

2018 Santenay 1er Le Beaurepaire ​
50% wc
This has a lot of complexity – almost a granular, pepper, impression. Ooh, that’s silky, very ripe fruit but open and not a bit heavy. Tasting great in the long lingering finish.

2018 Santenay 1er Les Gravières
Old vines of 70 years-old.​
Here is colour. A nose with a little charcoal/graphite mineral aroma – only slowly releasing a little dark fruit. Fuller, depth of flavour, plenty of structure – a little graphite minerality again – but here is density without heft – this has a long finish…

2018 Santenay 1er Passetemps
14k/hectare pinot fin planting. This plot touches the last but the two pinots are separated by some chardonnay.
Ooh – that is a beautiful nose – what a fine, still ripe, fruit. Supple, very forward ripe fruit, but the balance here is very impressive – delicious too – it’s far from my expectation but it’s a delicious wine.

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