Tasted with Philippe Pacalet in Beaune, 26 September 2022.
SAS Philippe Pacalet
12 rue de Chaumergy
21200 Beaune
Tel: +33 3 80 25 91 00
www.philippe-pacalet.com
Philippe on 2021:
“2021 is a small volume everywhere – in Beaujolas too. I’m happy with the wines and I’m happy that I don’t make the same wines each year too – 2021 is certainly a change in style. I will start racking now into foudres for some wines, planning for an Easter bottling. The evolution is interesting; stems were hard in the 1990s – 2021 is my 37th vintage – but 21 is not ‘classic’ in this respect. And this year we have 12.5° – so compared to recent vintages you can drink the bottle and still remember your name! I’m happy with harvest this year (2022) – it’s like 2019 for alcohol, so more than in 2020…”
The wines…
What a pleasure to taste. Wines that are full of perfume and energy – so approachable at this stage of their elevage too – a number that will be worth a special search.
2021 Gevrey-Chambertin
This bottled. From 5 different plots.
Fragrant, young but inviting. Bright attack but broad, energetic and red-fruited. I like this a lot!
2021 Pommard
A blend of Trois Foulots, Rugiens, Combes and Vaumuriens – all vines on the hill so not too much clay here.
Fine, plenty of attractive stem perfume. Extra width and concentration, layered, lots of wine here. Delicious wine!
2021 Nuits St.Georges
From the Bas de Combes, in the direction of Vosne but on the hillside.
A different fruit, more vertical – ‘there’s more limestone here.’ Higher intensity, a hint of wood showing for this particular wine – but wide, intense, almost saline finishing.
The resulting blend of 3 parcels; 2 parcels near the Moulin, and one lower down with more manganese. The commercial vintage here for this is still 2016!
Perfumed, wide. No obvious stems here. Silken, mobile, lovely energy. A really seductive wine here with an almost sparkly finishing energy – bravo.
2021 Volnay 1er Robardelles
Again perfumed. Open, and there’s lots of flavour complexity here, holding onto some finishing oak flavour – but there’s also the intrinsic sweetness of properly ripe, tasty fruit. Yum!
2021 Pommard 1er Charmots
More vertical aromas – less width but with lovely purity to this fragrance. Energy here and a slightly more structural shape too.
On the hillside – despite the name – on the Vosne side.
Perfumed stems – they are so well-judged this year. More saline – this flavour makes my tongue dance – a narrower, more focused impression but gorgeous!
2021 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Lavrottes
Sited near Les Fuées
A deeper but no less attractive perfume. The stems are more visible in this flavour. A bubbling, mineral energy in the finish, a little darker fruited with a faint tannin accent. Another beautiful wine.
2021 Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Chaumes
More volume of aroma – supple, wide, cool fruit. Sappy intensity. Slowly mouth-watering in the finish. Super!
Pale colour – ‘Yes it’s an old variety of pinot and it’s like that.‘ Not a large-scale nose but a wow nose! Another saline wine infused with a beautifully fine complexity. Absolute finesse – bravo! One of the best 21s I tasted so far…
Over 80 years old vines.
A little extra aromatic power to this wine – vibrant too. Ooh – bravo again – a wine that melts over the palate. Beautiful Corton¨
2021 Charmes-Chambertin
Another bright perfume here – just so inviting. A little chalkiness to the texture, slowly rolling waves of delicious oak-accented sweet flavour.
By the wall across from Grands-Echézeaux
Narrower aromas but with gorgeous clarity. Lovely layers of mouth-watering flavour, a little anise – then a fading but vibrating with finishing flavour. Simply excellent CV – and so approachable too.
2021 Echézeaux
‘More stone and sand after the clay of the last.’
Another beautifully elegant and pure nose, the fruit a little darker accented with a stemmy vibration. Extra stem flavour but never to excess. More overt power in the middle and finishing flavours here. Another simply excellent wine.
‘Meaning small rocks’ says Philippe
Stems again more airy in aromatic style but the perfume just keeps expanding. I love the almost juicy layers of mouth-watering flavour and fine structure. Such a fine balance of structure and elegance – Yes!
2021 Cornas
Making this for 21 years now.
Floral, olives. Olive again, vibrant, finishing perfumed. A tapenade with fruit – only 12.5%…