Tasted in Pernand with Christine Gruère-Dubreuil, 12 November 2019.
Domaine Dubreuil-Fontaine Père et Fils
Rue Rameau
21420 Pernand-Vergelesses
Tel: +33 3 80 21 55 43
www.dubreuil-fontaine.com
Christine on 2019:
“We had a hot summer this year but the year started with a little frost – fortunately just a little. By the end, the biggest damage was the cold weather during flowering, maybe minus 30% in the end, a little more for the whites and less on the reds. But very happy with the quality.”
Christine on 2018:
“2018 – A lovely year. Good quality and volume – the perfect vintage. It was very early to start our harvest – in late August – but with beautiful fruit and no rot. I think nice for both colours – they are both rich but also have freshness. I will be happy if I can make a vintage like this each year.”
The wines…
Colours are deep here in 2018 but less impenetrable than some domaines. There was a little tightness, even unreadyness in some of the wines – but the average quality will be high here.
The whites and this first red were bottled in July.
2018 Bourgogne Notre Dame de Bonne Esperance
Our customers are used to this name so haven’t thought about changing to Bourgogne Côte d’Or – it would be too many words on the label. This already bottled a couple of weeks ago.
A compact nose, suggesting ripe fruit though. Wide, mineral, almost a touch metallic. Good concentration and freshness. Holds well. Good wine
2017 Pernand-Vergelesses
Three parcels, Noirets, Boutières and one, Les Fichots is 1er cru
Lots of colour. Fuller, deep-red fruit. More incisive, mouth-watering with dark fruit, a fine grain of tannin too. A touch of licorice in this long finish.
2018 Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Les Vergelesses
Three different parcels.
More airy, a practically perfumed nose. Fresh, nice drive, Lovely energy ain the middle – this has lots of complexity – not a big wine but a very tasty wine. Delicious.
2018 Aloxe-Corton
Bottled 2 weeks ago.
Hmm, nicely high toined – an invitation. Extra sweetness and width to this fruit but not at the epense of freshness. Dark, sticky, finishing fruit.
2018 Pommard
Trois Follots and En Beouf
A vertical nose of height and depth, limited width – always dark-fruited. Wide, slightly reduced but the fruit has a nice high-toned side to it. Lovely finishing, melting – delicious here!
2018 Volnay
As always, a high percentage of 1er Cru in this wine.
There’s a touch of reduction but this has nice high-tones too – practically perfumed. Drive, direct, beautiful texture – the reduction, long. This will be super.
2018 Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Ile des Vergelesses
Some of the vines here touch on those from the Savigny Vergelesses.
A little tighter but there’s width to this nose. A mineral entry and then the wine widens and widens over the palate – I like this shape and the finishing complexity… Excellent
2018 Aloxe-Corton 1er Vercots
Another slightly tighter nose – slowly becoming a little elegant. There is structure here – but an open style and fine fruited too – this is lovely – and the finish is delicious. Just give it time…
The classic floral notes of this wine chez DF – tightish but it’s there. Wide, fine, beautifully textured, long, perfumed fruit – bravo!
2018 Pommard 1er Les Epenots
Petit plus Grands Epenots
A little reduction, but there’s an elegant higher tone just trying to get out. Bigger, more attack, plenty of freshness and structure, modestly reductive flavour. Really long – this clearly needs more (elevage) time but it’s usually one of the best wines here.
2018 Corton Perrieres
A width of freshness greats the nose, but below is tight! Lovely in the mouth, there’s an open style and freshness – sweetness too – but not fat, rich, but not too rich. Long, mineral length. Another that needs some time.
2018 Corton-Bressandes
Wide, faintly reductive but it’s an invitation all the same. Wider, more open style with a clearer fineness of texture. Lots of finishing energy here – a great finish!
Not a big nose but it’s fresh and it’s suggesting perfume. Ultra-fine tannin, wide, lovely Vosne style texture. The king is still the king.
Les Blancs:
The whites were all bottled.
2018 Pernand-Vergelesses
A nice fresh nose here – good. Energy, complexity, a little minerality – this is simply a lovely wine – just a faint, DIAM-style reduction. But excellent!
2018 Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Sous Frétile
More airy, certainly more attractive. More attack, more mineral, almost meagre width – but the energy and mouth-watering flavour grow well enough. Good finish!
2018 Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Clos Berthet
Hmm – this has a twist more fruit, but it remains a wine of fresh complexity. Fuller, still very mineral, nicely mouth-filling with energy. Little waves of finishing flavour that hold very well. Delicious.
2018 Corton-Charlemagne
Pernand side
Not a big nose, but airy and complex. Hmm – wide, lovely minerality – a cool personality here, just a suggestion of oak. This is always a wine at its best 10 years down the line…
Something older?
2016 Corton-Perrieres
A full nose, concentrated but also not so nuanced today. Saline and driving, more for those with patience, still.
2012 Corton-Clos du Roi
Very floral, good impact. supple, saline, complex, beautiful texture, very long, super wine!
2000 Aloxe-Corton 1er Vercots
Hmm, more complex, wide, a little less sweetness but there’s depth, and layered finishing flavour. Not easy after the last but alone this would be delicious.
1990 Pommard 1er Epenots
Deep, older, complex wine. Supple, with depth of flavour, modest sweetness only, but what a great, broad, complex finish – yes!
1988 Corton-Perrières
Magnum
A little mushroom, width, but also a lovely fruit too. Very fine acidity. The flavour is mobile, melting and mineral. What a great and still fresh, delicious finish.
1976 Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Ile des Vergelesses
Hmm, that’s a more open, textured and attractive nose. Supple and driving with surprising freshness, saline. But a lovely growth of finishing flavour too.
1969 Corton-Bressandes
Hmm, that’s a nose with core, with texture, super complexity too. Ooh, sucrosity, layered, energetic, not the most perfectly smooth acidity, but frankly, who cares!
Ooh, that’s a very fine line of fresh but concentrated citrus – just a faint vibration of age. Ooh, depth, layered, almost creamy, gorgeous wine. Bravo!
1994 Corton-Charlemagne
Magnum
More golden-straw colour. Smooth, complex, lanolin, though not so inviting as the last. A lovely line of flavour again – melting, faintly saline, super texture. A pleasure, and so long!
1985 Corton-Charlemagne
Magnum
Much deeper colour. Hmm, a riper, almost younger nose than the 94. a fizzle of forward acidity then the wine relaxes over the palate. Wide, easy, long. Overall I like the 94 more today, but still wouldn’t turn this down !
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