Tasted in Meursault with Guillaume Lavollée, 21 October 2021.
Domaine Génot-Boulanger
25 rue de Citeaux
21190 Meursault
Tel: +33 3 80 21 49 20
www.genot-boulanger.com
More reports with Domaine Génot-Boulanger
Guillaume on 2021:
“Ah, yes! Speaking of 2021 – it was catastrophic in both colours – except our Côte de Nuits Clos de Vougeot but the rest was an average of 10 hl/ha…”
Guillaume on 2020:
“2020 – also stress at the harvest – mainly because it was so early – we started 21 August. The last grapes were harvested on the 29th – all 22 hectares were comfortably finished in August! But the harvest started really well as the grapes were lovely – and we found from the first press of chardonnay that we had no lack of juice. The reds brought less volume but were good – they were a pleasure to vinify too. The only stress was when to start harvesting. For us, versus 2019 we have double the volume – because we had some frost in 2019, so only 25 hl/ha in the whites in 19 – but 50 hl/ha in 2020 and with great balance too. The reds are really the style of wines that I love to make – and are classic – of course, I was worried that the date of harvest was a long way from classic. From start to finish I love them.”
The wines…
Guillaume has hit the high notes with both colours in 2020. Most of the wines I would describe as excellent but there are any number of great or potentially great wines – in both colours – too. They have come such a long way here versus 15 years ago when so much of their production was sold in bulk!
The domaine has 9 hectares planted to white, 13 to red, but that normally brings about the same volume of wine for the two colours – in 2020, however, there’s more white. This is the first tasting that Guillaume has made for the 2020s. The whites have been racked into bulk, the reds remain in their barrels and will stay there for a little longer than usual as Guillaume, given the low volume harvest of 2021, doesn’t want to leave the barrels empty for too long – he’s made studies of doing this since 2012 so he’s pretty confident in the process. There are 27 cuvées this year as some vines are being replanted…
1.7 ha south-facing, young vines – a 2016 plantation – in two parcels, this one direct south facing with a lot of marne. No new barrels here and the Bourgogne – the other reds have between 10-15%.
Beautiful depth and clarity of colour, quite high toned fruit with depth and freshness too. Concentrated but wide with a mineral aspect and a micro-grain of tannin – super texture here, lingering beautifully – that’s absolutely a great start!
1988 pinot fin for about half, the rest planted in 2014 – 1.5 hectares worth – much more limestone and a cooler place, east-facing versus the last wine.
A little deeper nose, airy with a suggestion of spice above. Ooh – extra intensity, a layered middle and finishing impression. So mouth-watering. Great Mercurey – bravo! Let it rest in your cellar for a couple of years and you will have even more reward.
In the plain below Pommard, deep, clay soil, old vines with not the largest production 15-20 hl/ha so maybe will replant in the not too distant future.
A little extra colour. The nose is deep, suggesting a hint of reduction but there’s great fruit too – even a bit more class than the last 1er cru Mercureys – and exciting, perfumed nose. Yes! Incisive, dark-fruited – great texture – the finest of grain – expanding wider in the middle and finishing flavour – great Bourgogne, and for keeping.
2020 Pommard Vieilles-Vignes
Three parcels – each with separate elevage – 50% Cras (1930s vines), plus Vignots and Chanière – over 2 ha in total. Since 2017 100% destemmed before that there were multiple tests with whole clusters.
A little less colour. Deep and dark, faintly spiced, again. This time no suggestion of reduction. Wide, fresh, practically incisive once more. A more chewy depth of flavour here – a little more contemplative than the Bourgogne but simply excellent wine.
2020 Volnay Vieilles-Vignes
Bottom of slope but bordering the 1ers – ‘so more structure than our Pommard’ – from Aussey & Echards
Very different; pretty red fruits here with a slowly growing quite heavy but still attractive perfume. A weight of concentration – like all so far – but balanced with freshness and more red-fruit than the previous wines. Faintly tannic and saline finishing, almost a small suggestion of wc perfume at the end.
2020 Beaune 1er Montrevenots
A small area of vines for here – so there are no magnums!
Very attractive fresh and inviting red fruit. The silkiest wine yet – direct in style – beautifully textured and then a little burst of intensity as you head for the finish. A beauty!
2020 Beaune 1er Grèves
1 ha – the oldest vines of the domaine – south of the climat, high up just under the Clos St.Anne
A vibrant nose – rather complex in this case – deep and mobile. A big freshness of flavour the attack is real here, direct, faintly tannic in the middle of the palate but never to excess. Holding a more mineral length – an impressive if not large wine.
2020 Chambolle-Musigny
Mombies et Nazoires – 1/3 young vines the rest from 50s and 60s.
A much more airy nose – very inviting. The flavour here fans out to fill the width, modestly saline, and with a texture of velvet. Holding a very fine, slightly stony and peppery finish. Super.
2020 Aloxe-Corton Clos du Chapitre
In les Meix with Franck Folin-Arbelet – half each in this 2ha clos – the soil dominated by its limestone.
A smaller nose but with fine freshness and redder fruit. A little wc impression to the width of flavour here. The red fruit is mobile, and attractive – again a saline accent to the finishing flavour. Long and tasty again – here with a little finishing bitters.
2020 Volnay 1er Roncerets
Actually in Aussey and it’s a high proportion of clay here so the vines suffer less in the heat.
Darker fruit but much airier and more perfumed – that’s a super nose! Large-scaled in the mouth – plenty of saline impression again, almost micro-grained with tannin but no dryness. Dry extract clings to the mouth as you finish tasting – holding the flavour longer and longer.
2020 Pommard 1er Clos Blanc
0.3 ha – smallest 1er of the domaine
Very attractive perfume of modest wc and redder fruit. Wide, fresh, a little mineral – here is concentration but never anything heavy. Lingering with energy and salinity in the style of the domaine this year.
Rapet and Tollot-Beaut the other owners here – but this climat is blended in their ‘generic ‘Cortons’
A more vibrant style of redder fruit that goes deep into the aromatics here – not a nose of volume but certainly one of interest. Very silky, direct, cool fruited and very faintly reductive. A growing intensity and width of fresh finishing flavour – that’s great Corton – bravo!
The deepest soil of CV – Baudes Basses – bottom left. Nearest the road is the deepest clay, higher on the slope it becomes lighter and shows more limestone – no problems experienced from the dryness for this part.
Plenty of colour. Ooh! That’s great! – a clarity of fresh and pure fruit aroma – simply lovely. Direct, silky and pure like the last – just a more apparent tannin though without grain. That’s also a really great wine – you’ll pay more for this one – but there will be no lack of reward – simply excellent – even for Clos de Vougeot.
Les Blancs:
1.2 ha now all white, they had some red here previously.
Ooh – after the reds, this brings relaxation to my senses – not because there’s no energy but because it invites me in a different, rounder, citrus style. Mineral in style, mouth-filling. A fine tannin still – really mouth-watering and with an excellent lip-smacking finish – that’s as great a villages (white) Beaune as you’re likely to find!
2020 Savigny-lès-Beaune Blanc
Equal parcels each of Goudoulettes, Golardes and Saucours blended – making about 0.5 ha
A rounder nose, here with a small accent of barrique. More structural and fresh – not quite austere but after the Beaune that’s a suitable word. A very fine grain of tannin again and juicy, attractive, flavour. Long and satisfying in the finish too.
2020 Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Vergelesses Blanc
A little less aromatic volume but a width of riper fruit and with great clarity – that’s very inviting with an accent of florals. Direct, mineral, full of energy – more zesty style of fruit versus that last. Then wide and vibrant finishing – this wine has the lot – it’s excellent, even with the modest accent of barrel that it finishes with…
2020 Meursault Clos du Cromin
1.5 ha – the part closest to Meursault village – plenty of clay but the limestone is quickly found below.
Vibrant, mineral a noble reduction. Extra clarity here, mineral but not with rigour – very mouth-watering – a little higher achievement here in terms of clarity/purity of flavour. Nicely vibrant finishing too – Meursault with plenty of delicious energy.
2020 Meursault Meix Chaveaux
The last climat before the border with Auxey-Duresses – the soils is poorer and has sand unlike the Clos du Cromin
Airy, wide, overtly very fine Meursault. Rather fuller in the mouth – but not fat – there’s minerality here and a lot of interesting, mouth-watering flavour. More mineral and intense finishing flavour than the last, though I still have a little more love for the last. This is still a super wine.
2020 Puligny-Montrachet Nosroyes
Higher part close to Clos de la Mouchère, second largest cuvée after Clos de Cromin for the domaine
Airy, some width – not a full-power nose but still an inviting and slightly floral one. Here is more mineral clarity and energy together – cooler fruited in style and always very mouth-watering – this with a saline accent (as many) – almost a chewy depth of flavour in the finish. I like this a lot.
2020 Puligny-Montrachet Levrons
A little more depth from a reduction that is very attractive here – a great nose despite its modest volume. More mouth-filling, more energy but a bit less focus – today I’d rather drink the last wine but in another 2-3 years I expect that this will be in the ascendent!
2020 Chassagne 1er Les Vergers
2 parcels here; one in the Clos st Marc – the older vines – and a younger vine (2002) in Pascquelles – ‘the balance comes from assembling them.’
Extra depth and extra complexity too – not overtly the same level of freshness as the Puligny – but impressive all the same. Faintly reductive and not a bit faintly mineral. This has a suggestion of rigour but never enough that I want to spit – it’s a wine of complexity and freshness in the mouth and it’s going to be super!
2020 Puligny-Montrachet 1er La Garenne
Old vines, never a large rendement but very consistent.
A narrower nose but more ‘together’ and what depth and complexity – that’s super! Really extra mouth-filling here, a telling combination of energy and intensity. Great persistence of stony fruit and great wine.
2020 Meursault 1er Bouchères
2nd largest owner after Roulot
That’s a very different nose, faintly spiced with a fine core of fruit – always a suggestion of freshness. More strict, wide but less obviously mouth-filling. More intensity again. Framed with a small tannin once more. A delicious and very Meursault finish the ginger-spice prevailing over the stoniness.
Bottom, south in Au Chaniots
That’s a very friendly, more than slightly floral aroma – it opens its arms to embrace you – different to the dominatrix of Garenne. Cool-fruit freshness dominates the width of flavour, open, with an ingraining citrus component over the palate and gums – this really holding the flavour very long. Give this some time – it’s really excellent – it could be great!
Plain west-facing above the cross of Charlemagne (when it’s rebuilt!) Plenty of sources even up there so never a problem with dryness despite what the look of the soil might suggest.
Directly the noble reduction of Pernand Vergelesses – so deep and seemingly structured without harshness. Very silky, impressively concentrated yet so light on its feet. The finish is a narrow but oh-so-long one. Proper Charlemagne – though surprisingly approachable today – but you can keep as long as you will like – or as long as the cork will allow! Super, super wine.