Tasted in Curtil-Vergy with Axelle Machard de Gramont, 18 November, 2019.

Domaine Bertrand Machard de Gramont
13 Rue de Vergy
21700 Nuits-Saint-Georges
Tel: +33 3 80 61 16 96
www.bertrand-macharddegramont.fr

Axelle on 2019:
“2019 – oh yes! But minus one-third in volume. The flowering weather was terrible, then some dry grapes on the vines, hence, the low quantity.”

Axelle on 2018:
“The vintage is unusual for us, as our 2018s are already racked into tank. We did that for 2 reasons, I have invested in some quality barrels, the very old ones are gone. But I still want bottle by March. I think that 2018 is so fruity that I don’t know what longer ageing will bring. There’s always a problem, of course, and in 2018 it was our yields – we were touched by mildew so lost some wine in the north of Nuits. Then there were two visits by hail in July – fortunately, they brought mainly leaf damage!”

The wines…

Perhaps a combination of both the vintage and Axelle’s newer barrels, I sense more power in the wines this year than most other vintages – these wines lack for none of her usual clarity though!

2018 Bourgogne Les Grands Chaillots
Vines under Nuits with deep soil and some clay; ironstones that help drainage. Frosted in 2009 so partly replanted afterwards.
Hmm, thats a nice light touch, airy and fresh. Supple, lovely fresh flavour, depth of flavour. Almost a little chocolate in the finishing flavours. Quite powerful for this domaine but lovely.

2018 Nuits St.Georges Les Terrasses de Vallerots
‘2 hectares and really it’s a unique parcel – it wasn’t planted with vines before, so never chemically treated.’ About a quarter new oak. Only 30 hl/ha.
Deep colour but this has a lovely elegance on the nose. Supple, beautiful texture, ripe fruit in the middle. Tasty wine.

2018 Nuits St.Georges Les Vallerots
0.5 hectares. Gets the rising but not the setting sun. Above Vaucrains but really opposite Poulets
A little tighter, redder fruit. Wide, layered, fine freshness, a little more grain to the tannin. More vibrant red fruit finishing. A touch of oak there too in the sweetness, like the last.

2018 Nuits St.Georges Hautes Pruliers
Very steep and often no more than 10cm of soil.
Ooh – wide, modestly floral, beautifully elegant. More depth, still freshness, structural in shape but not too much from the perspective of tannin – just a modest grain. Lovely acid fruit finishing. Super wine, but wait longer for this than either of the Vallerots – it’s excellent.

2018 Nuits St.Georges Aux Allots
Next to Grandes Vignes in northern Nuits, touching Vosne. 0.92 hectares of multiple vine ages up to 100 years-old – the oldest vines of the domaine.
Deep, dark, almost a little minty. Wide, dark depth of flavour. A little grain to the tannin, dark-red fruit. Wide finishing.

2018 Vosne-Romanée
0.60 hectares over 4 parcels; Champs Boudin, Aux Ormes below, the Bas Mazières heading towards the Clos de Vougeot.
Hmm, wide, beautiful, elegant. But some power here – red-fruited, wide, layered, energy, the mid-palate says ‘wait, be patient’ but this has lovely depth and shape. Lovely finishing.

2018 Vosne-Romanée Barraux
Young vines, 15-16 years old.
Bigger, more textural, more structural, melting with darker fruit, almost licorice too. Very long. Again be patient – super wine.

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