Tasted in Beaune with Lauriane André and Jerôme Despres, 25 September 2020.
Domaine Francoise André
7, Rempart Saint-Jean
21200 Beaune, France
Tel:+33 3 80 24 21 65
www.domaineterregelesses-francoiseandre.com
More reports for Domaine Françoise André.
Lauriane & Jerôme on 2020:
“A year that was intense because the growth started so early – already in March – so we had a lot of concern about frost and even lit candles in Charlemagne – more than once! Everything seemed to come not just early but fast too. Many were confined at home but the vines most-definitely were not confined. Flowering was super for the reds a little less for the whites – but in the end, it was the chardonnay that was the most regular at harvest time. The dryness probably did slow things down – certainly in and around Beaune we had very little rain. The degrees were fine but we had heterogeneous clusters probably due to a little blockage – some grapes ripe, some not, in the same cluster. We stopped for 5 days to wait for harvesting the last parcels but it was these parcels that were the most consistent. Rendement was important, often the reds were ready sooner because they had fewer grapes on the vines – I have to say, the charge of grapes in whites has been good in recent years… Balanced with good freshness and acidities – it looks like the richness of 2003 but the freshness of 2015 at this stage.”
Lauriane & Jerôme on 2019:
“We haven’t tasted them for a while but we think they look good. A hard vintage to remember because we lost Michel André just before the start of the harvest. There was oïdium but different to 2020 where it was more explosive but only in small parcels – the pressure was more consistent through the vintage in 2019. An easy summer in effect. Not a big harvest for reds – 28-30 hl/ha average – but some were even lower. Here it was more like 40 hl/ha for the whites, but still lower than average.”
The wines…
A very strong selection of wines. I often feel that the whites are quite obviously oaked, yet, after 2-3 years, this is hardly visible – as it should be. There are a number of wines worth looking out for from this address in 2019.
The domaine uses the ‘plastic’ Ardea seal for all their wines – red and white. Versus the first few years that it was on the market, it seems easier to extract these days…
2019 Bourgogne Côte d’Or Chardonnay
Next to the domaine’s vines in Chorey – planted by the domain in 2015 – the land en friche before. All barrel elevage. For bottling in the new year.
Airy, fresh fruited aroma. Round, mouth-watering – quite generous actually. A finishing weight and persistence. Very nice regional.
2019 Chorey-lès-Beaune Blanc
40 year-old vines – planted by Sylvain Pitiot when he was at the domaine – one of the pioneers of Chorey Blanc here.
A narrower, deeper and more perfumed nose. More mouth-filling and showing a higher level of energy – though there’s a little gas here, it’s ‘helping.’ A little more structural and impressively finishing. This is more powerful but excellent.
From Les Pins on the hillside near Sous Frétille, plenty of stones in the clay here.
Easily the finest and most focused nose so far – elegant and pure in that slightly reductive PV style – yes! Open, energetic, engaging, a little oak sweetness, but only modestly oaked. Joie de vivre and a fine energy – bravo villages.
2019 Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Sous Fretille
From old vines.
A more profound depth of aroma – riper yellow fruit – attractive – but at this stage, I’m preferring the nose of the ‘Pin.’ More mouth-filling style but a little more density too – fine freshness to wait a little time for but generally excellent wine here. Really most distinguished by its finish – impressively so…
Near the vines of the Hospices de Beaune – 70 year-old vines – east-facing with very little soil, ‘a good vintage might bring 30 hl/ha, but that’s been a while.’
A more hidden depth of aroma here but the airy higher tones are very inviting. Some gas, a little salinity, a fine and driving style to this wine – complex citrus – some lime – this is pure and delicious. I like a lot. Bravo!
2019 Beaune 1er Belissand
Second vintage – originally ‘all’ planted to red – but about 60% of the vines were missing when purchased, so decided to replant in white.
An airy nose – perhaps there’s some gas here – tighter. Yes, a little gassy but that doesn’t hide a silkiness to the texture. Fine presence on the palate, slightly mineral, very tasty wine – despite such young vines…
2019 Corton-Charlemagne
From the Pernand side – 0.35 hectares of 30 year-old vines.
Also a relatively compact nose to start. Mouth-filling but composed – no excesses of energy – moving beautifully over the palate with delicious, yes chalky, flavours. Then a grand cru burst of finishing flavour and very impressive length. Pure, fine, just a little compact today – but everything is here – it will certainly be excellent…
Les Reds…
All tasted from 1-year-old barrels, no racking at this stage:
2019 Chorey-lès-Beaune
Same parcel as white but older vines of course.
Medium-plus colour. Plenty of aromatic depth here – darker red. Hmm – that’s wide, sweet, dark fruit but at the same time with lovely acidity. This is very delicious wine – and far too easy to drink!
2019 Beaune les Bons Feuvres
From lower slope vines close to the border with Pommard (And Beaune Epenottes).
Higher toned, faintly reductive. Just a little more structural but with a roundness – no sharp edges here. Easy but open flavoured – a really lovely flavour. That’s a delicious wine. Really a fine glass…
No reduction, easy, higher tones – more compact below. More energetic, a little more structural again – this is really super – energy, complexity and an open-armed hug from the flavours – bravo!
2019 Savigny-lès-Beaune Connardises
A single vineyard of 1 hectare and 40-year-old vines.
Hmm – airy – the first that’s a little floral too – a good invitation. Fresher and more direct than the Montée Rouge. Mouth-watering freshness, some extract in the finish too. Delicious.
2019 Pommard Vaumuriens
Vines once of Coche-Dury.
Again airy – wider, more density but still a little floral. Wide yet direct at the same time. Lip-smacking flavour of freshness and complexity. Just the faintest drag to the texture from the tannin but there’s no grain here. Delicious again – I’d wait a couple of years for this wine – but with much anticipation! Excellent wine!
2019 Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Les Vergelesses
Sited next to the domaine’s white Vergelesses.
Directly a rounder nose of floral accented, crushed, red fruits – very nice – slowly adding a little salinity too! A little gas here. Nice scale – this fills the mouth, slightly architectural in shape, with the finest of tannic grain. Ooh, that’s a beautiful finish, long, melting over the palate. A wine that will require a little patience but the constituent parts impress.
18 hl/ha, but fabulous grapes
There’s a small reduction attached to the aromas – it takes time to dislodge. In the flavour too. But this is open, concentrated and has a beautiful shape. Almost an airy style to finish – wide but oh-so persistent. Possibly great, certainly excellent!
2019 Corton-Renardes
First vintage was in 2014. A new barrel – there’s just one.
A nose with a little salinity and much more density – depth here, slowly opening with violet flowers. Wide, concentrated but completely balanced – clearly we step up here. Layers of flavour, always juicily mouth-watering. Touched by the barrel but modestly. A super Corton.