Tasted in Marsannay with Pierre Bart, 03 December 2019.
Domaine Bart
23 Rue Moreau
21160 Marsannay-la-Côte
Tel: +33 3 80 51 49 76
Pierre on 2019:
“In 2019 we made about 25% less, which is pretty classic for the year I think. But despite the heat, we were surprised by how much acidity we had in the grapes – tartaric mainly. We had a little frost, losing 5-10% and the flowering was hot so later we waited and waited for rain but it didn’t come. Harvesting started 17 September. Almost everything came in with 13.2-13.8°, only one white was over 14°. Fermentations were much easier than 2018 – I think because we had the acidity. We did a little less whole-cluster because the acidity was higher, but quite long macerations/infusions some remontage rather than physical extraction. I think it a more concentrated year than 2017 and 2018. They are serious, practically hard, right now.”
Pierre on 2018:
“45 hl/ha, so a good volume. It’s the lack of acidity that’s a marker, we haven’t ‘corrected’ any of the wines. We made wines with whole-clusters, but like most vintages, with 20-40% so we didn’t actively change the style of the domaine. I felt it necessary to add just a bit more sulfur after racking as I thought the wines a little fragile at one stage. I’m thinking a ‘little 2003’ in style and think these will be drinkable in 3-4 years. We had no millerandes, just proper grapes, so there was more juice. I think some have their balance from the extra volume/dilution. ”
The wines…
A very fine result in 2018 for this domaine – a few samples were showing their oak – but tasted from barrel, not assembled in tank. Very many delicious wines.
Assemblies began here at the start of November. Some bottlings will be done before the end of the year, the rest by February.
2018 Marsannay Finottes
This is a 2-hectare monopole of the domaine. A triangle of vines between Longeroies and Echezots that produced only 2 hl/ha in 2016! Sandy and quite deep soil.
A nice broad and fresh nose. Full, fresh energy, this has a modestly rustic tannin today but it is already delicious!
2018 Marsannay Ouzeloy
A fairly large area of vines in Ouzeloy, but not that many producers use this label – mainly it’s here and Roty. Quite young vines.
A darker nose – a deeper nose too. Less excitement, but with a finer structure and lovely depth of flavour. Saline too – lovely.
2018 Marsannay Longeroies
A blend of high and low parcels – the vineyard with marne at the base and limestone at the top.
Hmm, back to the fresh purity of fruit – it’s a really inviting nose. Hmm, that is fresh, open and mineral, delicious. Let the seriously great finish fade a little and there’s just a suggestion of oak here too. Excellent wine.
Always late harvested, vines above Finottes. The domaine’s biggest cuvée with over 2 ha of vines, and in more than one sector, ‘Some parts are easier than others, some parts go into the Bourgogne, sometimes – it works well in a warm vintage though as it’s a cold area and is always last harvested – but has fewer problems with rot because of the breeze that’s always here.’ The stems hardly ripen in this cooler place, so always destemmed.
Hmm, a saline width, nicely fresh. Fuller, more muscular, but with freshness, fine intensity, and complexity. Bravo – really super Marsannay!
2018 Marsannay La Montagne
A more compact nose. Some gas, but with delicious energy too – some oak but tasty in the finishing flavours, more creamy oak at the end.
More open, with dark but vibrant fruit. Mouth-filling but open, fine structure, melting flavour – this is really fine. Bravo – delicious, very classy wine.
Under Clos de Jeu, shared with Chateau de Marsannay – marne (marl) with oyster shells in the soil.
A little more compact nose again, but with an inviting purity of fruit in its depths. Like the last, mouth-filling, open, here a more textural depth. The better wine though I’d drink the previous before this – and for a few years. Bravo again.
2018 Marsannay Champs Salamon
Here there is some width to the nose but it’s tighter both above and below. Mouth-filling, complex, some depth to the texture, there’s oak here, but less overt than in the Montagne. Some finishing bitters on a broad final note. Really a weight of finishing flavour. Excellent.
2018 Fixin 1er Hervelets
This is usually quite a late bottling ‘it always needs more time in elevage.’
Lots of colour, the nose needing plenty of swirling but remains compact. Width, ease of texture, not soft but melting easily over the palate – a certain class. Mineral finishing. Not a wine that’s fully open but I already see much class!
2018 Marsannay Clos du Roy
Bottled just before harvest. Malo was gone before the alcoholic was done – ‘it’s different!’
A big nose, very chocolate in style – inviting if still lacking definition. Actually quite fresh in the mouth, but a sweet chocolate style of flavour – yes there’s fruit too, but certainly an individual!
These last three always have three more months in barrel:
2018 Chambolle-Musigny Les Veroilles
This about one-third new oak.
The nose starts reductive – trying, but not quite succeeding, to show its fruit. The new oak on the palate is formidable today but the shape and texture are very fine. A very nice finish though. This will be good but wait a couple of years, at least…
2018 Clos de Bèze
50% oak, 40% wc
This is not a big nose, but it has something to say – there’s width and a fine addition of perfume. Complex, gorgeous over the palate, a little cushioning, some of the wc flavour too. Layered finishing. Ultra-long – great wine, excellent Bèze.
Vines next to those of de Vogüé in Chambolle – the largest part originally from Clair-Daü, plus 0.12 hectares via Safer from a cousin – ‘That was the sole sale at a proper price in the last 15 years!’ The terroir is mainly terres rouges and contains some of the oldest vines of the domaine – ‘40% of which are more than 100 years old and are used for the massale selections of the domaine.’
A finer nose but much less aromatic volume today – it’s rather compact. Fuller in the mouth, more muscled, no fat, growing some tannin but it’s a textural drag over the palate, not a grain, ooh – bravo! And very long.
Thats a wide and super nose, just a hint of leaf and lots of whole-cluster-accented fruit. Also a little depth of leaf but this is complex and detailed, really complex! Great wine with both complexity and delicacy. Very long. Super wine.