Thierry Glantenay – 2018

26.12.2019billn

Thierry Glantenay, 2019Tasted in Volnay, 13 November 2019, with Thierry Glantenay.

Domaine Bernard & Thierry Glantenay
3 rue Vaut
21190 Volnay
Tel: +33 3 80 21 62 20

Thierry on 2019:
2019 was a hot, heatwave, year with lots of dryness. The soil was damper so there was less stress in 2018 for the vines. Essentially here I lost volume due to the dryness – 40% less – the Bourgogne was less than half so maybe there was some effect from the frost there, but I didn’t see frost in the 1ers – some grapes were completely dried and burnt by the sun though. That might have cost us 20% in Santenots, but fortunately, we have a lovely acidity, more than in 2018 and with fewer degrees of alcohol than 2018 too.

Thierry on 2018:
In 2018 we had more volume, probably because the vines didn’t lack water – so more strength and degrees. I’ve about 38 hl/ha which is quite high here as we have a high proportion of old vines. It’s important to have some volume in Volnay, as the harvests have been so low since 2012 – because of that, there’s been a relative lack of infrastructure investment. Nothing is bottled here, the only wine racked to tank for the moment is the Bourgogne, the rest are all still in barrel. It was a hard vintage that was saved by the old vines I think.

The wines…

What a really great range from Thierry in 2018 – his old vines have evened out many of the excesses of the vintage – super wines!

The wines here will probably be assembled by February with the bottling expected in the Spring.

2018 Bourgogne Pinot Noir
An average age of 35 years for vines in the bottom of the commune of Volnay, made and with yields just like the 1ers.
Hmm, that’s fresh and perfumed. Plenty of concentration, but there’s the energy behind – really close to villages level but it needs just a twist more elegance for that – perhaps it will be there when bottled. Excellent, practically bravo Bourgogne.

2018 Volnay
The grapes from the 5 various parcels are assembled, pre-fermentation, into one big tank. 2 parcels are 1er cru – Lurets and Ormeau
Seems fresh, it’s certainly perfumed. Tighter below. Hmm, direct, fine texture, really fine, I love the drive and growth of flavour. Big finishing – like the vintage – but there’s decent freshness here.

2018 Pommard Riottes
Actually the malo’s not all done – there’s still half a gram.
Dark coloured. The nose is wide and gives the impression of silk. Lovely freshness again, the texture is very fine for Pommard – quite a perfumed fruit here – this wine shows less of the vintage and is really excellent – bravo!

2018 Volnay 1er Brouillards
Not many make this 1er Cru as the Glantenays have the largest portion of this vineyard. ‘Brouillards doesn’t always have the most complexity but it’s a concentrated masculine wine. But usually classed as an entry-wine for 1ers.’ A little more than 1 ha owned here, with an average vine age of 60.
Higher toned fruit, just a little tighter below. The last drops in the glass have a fine floral note. Hmm, drive, direction, energy – there’s a weight of flavour from the middle onwards – a wine that really opens out. Super, there’s a mouth-watering persistent flavour here – excellent wine.

2018 Volnay 1er Santenots
Santenots du Bas, under the Clos des Santenots of Prieur. In the context of the domaine’s other vines, ‘only’ about 30-year-old vines here.
Wide and high-toned fruit, adding floral notes with aeration. Wide to start, a little more tannin, weight of tannin, no grain hardly. Lots of middle and finishing concentration. Vibrant finishing, a little minerality here. Long and super.

2018 Pommard 1er Saucilles
Almost 100 yo vines – can‘t be exactly sure of the date. Even in 2018 only 20hl/hl
Ooh – a small volume of aroma here, but really fine and elegant. Fresh, wide, complex – exciting even. Bravo wine! A faint grain of completely ripe tannin…
2018 Volnay 1er Caillerets
Normally 3 barrels! These vines are next to the Clos des 60 Ouvrées, but here only 4 ouvrées! ‘For me, really one of the greatest terroirs of Volnay. 50% wc here. With saucilles the best grapes of the harvest.’
Here you have the rose perfume – it’s a beauty. Mouth-filling, a small grain of tannin, layered finishing, not so many producers add wc in Caillerets so this is a little different, but so long, so tasty, so worth your time – bravo again!
2018 Pommard 1er Rugiens
Also old vines, 85, some wc but less – here 30%.
Hmm – a good compromise, perfumed but equally of fine, rather elegant fruit. Lovely, lovely, open wine here. Energy from minerality and fruit complexity, perhaps a suggestion of barrel today – the only one – or maybe it’s just the creaminess of the old vine fruit in the finish. Great wine again.

2018 Volnay 1er Clos des Chênes
One parcel near Lafon and the Château Meursault, right in the middle of the appellation. 0.5 ha, a mix of old (85 years old) vines and 20 years old. Two thirds the latter. ‘Always strongest, most solar, most masculine of the domaine’s wines, hence, last.’
Plenty of aromatic volume, ripe but quite open. Actually this is also nicely open on the palate, beautiful über-fine texture, here also sweetly creamy finishing, showing the vintage less than I expected. Excellent…

One white:

2018 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Folatières
In tank, probably with a fining next week, for bottling without filtration at the end of the year. Higher vines in three parts, neighbouring Pernot about 50 metres from Lalou, roughly 70-year-old vines.
Ooh, thats a powerful and forward nose. Clearly mineral, though modest starting, growing, bubbling with mineral energy and complexity. Great texture. A really top finish too. This is rich, it’s not really a wine of tension, except the energy that comes from the minerality, but its absolutely delicious.

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