Tasted with David Moreau in Santenay, 21 October 2020.
Domaine David Moreau
4 rue de la Bussière
21590 Santenay
Tel: +33 3 80 20 61 79
www.bourgogne-david-moreau.com
More reports for Domaine David Moreau.
David on 2020:
“We had a good season, some sectors suffered from the heat but we had a bit more rain than some places and suffered much less. I prune very late to minimise the risk from frost, but some a bit too late – we lost volume because of that. I didn’t need to do many treatments, despite a storm here and there – the last big one was in mid-July then a couple of smaller ones in August. We harvested in August but not too early and we had really lovely acidities. I was happy to keep those. ”
David on 2019:
“A roughly similar volume to 2020 in this vintage but we were mainly frosted in one parcel of Santenay; 3.5k euros per hectare per night for candles is not really a great solution here. I didn’t pick too early so that the tannins were well-enough ripe – think we have good balance despite degrees between 13.5 and 14.5°”
The wines…
I was just a little early in the elevage for many of these wines – but proper wines they are – of structure and for keeping. A very impressive range of 2019s.
2019 Bourgogne Pinot Noir
From Saone-et-Loire so no Côte d’Or label; hillside vines with clay and lots of limestone.
Ooh, that’s a very inviting red fruit. Nice shape in the mouth too; a little structure and a very nice depth of fruit flavour – really excellent here. I’d suggest a year or two of patience but excellent.
2019 Côte de Beaune Villages
A hint of wc in this. From three parcels at the foot of the hills between Santenay and Chassagne.
A higher-toned nose, more floral. This more direct and fresh, slightly spiced, darker fruited too. Bright and fine energy in the finish. Wait 2 years
2019 Maranges
Two parcels, 45% 1er Clos Roussot, some wc in this one, ‘just selected so 10-20%’
A more compact nose today, faintly mineral. A little extra tannin – no grain but a certain astringency. Plenty of impact to this flavour. Again a little spiced finishing – very long. Again be patient!
2019 Santenay Les Hâtes
Planted originally by David’s grandfather – a big lieu-dit, this from the hillside. ‘It resembles Santenay Clos des Mouches and was sold to the négoce. For a long time it was very vigorous but now I’m happy with the results.
Higher toned airy red fruit, growing a floral dimension with air – 5-10% whole clusters. More supple, easier structure, fine-grained hardly any astringency. Redder fruit. A wine you can already greatly enjoy.
Two parcels, one in Les Cornières (mainly) and one smaller one in Les Charmes. Here was a lot of frost – changed the training in 2018 – the buds weren’t open but seemingly weren’t protected either.
A little more colour. Here’s a super perfume, faintly spiced from the wc. Wide, mouth-filling, more depth of darker red fruit – succulent in the finish – very different, but delicious, fruit. Bravo!
Planted in 1990 but not the balance that David liked until 2016 – the first vintage.
Fine clarity of fruit – easily the best so far – a little floral too – everything. Fresh, direct only slowly widening. Great structure. Open deliciously flavoured – bravo – and already no shame to drink now!
2019 Santenay 1er Clos Rousseau
Meagre soil, sometimes only 10cm. 15-20% wc like in the Cuvée S.
I smell the extra new oak more than the extra wc – air brings more balance. Structural again but here telling you to wait rather than giving the space to taste like the previous wine. Everything is here too, but wait 5 years.
2019 Santenay 1er Beauregard
Lots of colour. Not a big nose, darker and more direct. Big, wide, a full-flavoured wine of darker fruit and some licorice too. Slightly easier today than the Clos Rousseau – a really super persistence of flavour.
2019 Santenay 1er Clos des Mouches
Between Hâtes and Gravières but here is a little red clay before the hard limestone. Just 3 ha so not a lot of producers.
A hint less colour here. Open, airy, faintly spiced with a base of fine red fruit. Lovely texture a small cushion from the über-fine tannin, very long, perfumed finishing. Delicious.
Les Blancs:
2019 Bourgogne Aligoté
A bigger nose, plenty of energy here – 20% barrel used. Bright, easy, golden fruit, slightly reductive in the middle. Give it a little time to become friendlier…
2019 Santenay Blanc
Near Chassagne, lots of millerandes.
A composed, not so effusive nose – suggesting an airy style. Lovely width, fine dimension of mobile flavour. That’s a very tasty finish – mouth-wateringly delicious…
DIAM for the previous two wines, the following are cork and waxed:
2019 Santenay 1er Beaurepaire Blanc
All 350 l barrels
A little oak-spice is the first impression. Depth of aroma, suggesting a slightly agrume reduction. Here is evident concentration, faintly saline, lots of complex texture. That’s really an excellent wine!
2019 Meursault Les Pellans
Bottom of the hill bellow Charmes, old vines with lots of virus so tiny millerande grapes.
A narrower nose, faintly spiced. Bright, super clarity, a certain very modest austerity to the structure, but there’s concentration and a very fine complexity of finishing flavour. Wait 18 months but it’s clearly a super wine.