Tasted in Beaune with Maximilien Olio, 14th September, 2015.
Jaffelin
2 Rue Paradis
21200 Beaune
Tel: +33 3 80 22 12 49
www.maisonjaffelin.com
Marinette Garnier was out-of-town, so Maximilien stepped up to taste the range with me.
Maximilien on 2018:
“18 was a generous vintage, more so in the Côte de Beaune. Started our harvest early at the end of August following a hot summer. In the Côte Chalonnaise we expected more – Montagny and Rully but actually was a ‘normal’ volume. Very little to triage, quite some whole cluster was used – like in 2017. The reds needing quite a long time to finish their fermentations – nearly a month and a half of cuvaison – almost the double to get the sugar down. Whites were more ‘normal.’ With the whites it was critical to harvest at exactly the right time – not easy given the lack of harvesters in the last years – and all is done by hand here.”
Maximilien on 2017:
22017 – the reds are certainly lower in colour, they remind me of 2013 in that respect. But there were big disparities in the yields – plenty of millerandes making the difference between a good volume and a very good volume. We didn’t see very high volumes – Chorey for instance 11 barrels and in normal vintages we make 10-12 so ‘correct!’ Some green harvesting in certain parcels this vintage – none in 2018. Harvesting dates not that much different to 2018 – 04 September.”
85% is exported from here – Japan, US, Uk and other European markets.
The wines…
Very good reds, but the whites star at this domaine in 2017 – the Bourgogne, Ladoix and St.Romain are so good – I can stay with those and forget the excess of oak (today) in the Montagny and St.Aubin…
Jaffelin make about 260,000 bottles in total, all the bottles we taste are actually fermage contracts so to all intents they are domaine wines. Bottling just a little earlier – normally it’s 18 months, but for 17 decided to bottle some of the reds a little earlier. We only tasted the bottled wines:
2017 Bourgogne Pinot Noir Les Chanoines de Notre Dame
14 barrels, grapes from Hautes Côtes and 20% new oak.
Modest colour. Hmm – fine red fruit – fresh, wide and attractive. Decent fresh volume, a modest spice from the barrel, a touch of salinity – long and quite mineral in the finish, holding well. Not a simple fruity Bourgogne – there’s much character here.
2017 Chorey-lès-Beaune
Not produced in 2016 because of the frost. Not on the label but from Les Beaumonts, with 35% new oak.
More colour here. A tighter nose but of fruit with more depth and silk. A fresh and silky volume in the mouth – like the last with some saline complexity – and a modest barrel spice. More attractively finishing than the Bourgogne. Tasty wine with a more barrel note emphasis in the finish – wait 2 years.
2017 Givry 1er les Grands Vignes
Virtually every year the first grapes that are picked – and was the case this year. 30% new oak in this vintage. A wine that’s quite easy to sell in markets close to France – harder as you get further away.
A good depth of colour with this one. Hmm – the best nose yet – width, dark fruit a touch of florals and silk – a lovely invitation to drink. More direct, a little structural, the oak showing more with a modest touch of vanilla – but energy and great fruit – excellent wine for the label – but wait 2 years for the oak. Very approachable wine – excellent.
2015 Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Les Vergelesses
6 barrels – 30% new oak – had to be vinified in a demi-muid in 2016 due to the frost.
A more modest colour again. Hmm, this has a fine and complex nose – framed with a little oak spice – no herb. Fresh, of line, growing in volume – this is complex, attractive wine – the oak is showing less and there is a width of very attractive finishing flavour – nicely ripe. Excellent – Easily my favourite…
Les Blancs:
Cork here except the Bourgogne which use synthetics…
There are more whites here – but overall the volume is normally only about 55% white as there’s quite some volume of Chablis/Chablis 1er Cru must that is purchased here.
Vines in Viré-Clessé – 19 barrels in 2017.
Hmm – this is a very attractive and direct nose – deliciously floral. Attack, width, energy – for the price this is quite a wine – just a little savoury in the middle but it’s not that distracting, Such a great wine for the label and price – a shame it’s not labelled Viré!
A single parcel,6 barrels, 30% new oak. Actually quite a difficult label to sell in traditional markets as memories are long – austere, perhaps green wine – a shame – in other markets it’s certainly a shooting star!
Round, fresh and with a mix of citrus and floral – a nice perfume. Ooh – more volume, freshness, complexity – where is this 30% new oak? – Pure, fine textured – super length. Bravo!
A relatively new contract since 2015. It needed some work to sell to regular clients but now is starting to go very well. 30% new oak again.
A vibrant nose – fresh, mineral and cut with citrus – yes! More density, more depth – ooh this great! Mineral, concentrated and beautifully pure – I could drink this every day – bravo!
2017 Montagny 1er Cru
Second vintage – 5 barrels – 40% new oak.
A subtle oak on the nose – a more composed nose, less overt energy. In the mouth, however, things change – concentration – a depth of concentrated ripe citrus – good energy, and a weight of finishing flavour with a touch of salinity in the finish too – not my style of wine – I massively prefer the Ladoix – but this has, weight, concentration and length – there is much wine here.
2017 St.Aubin 1er Sur Gamay
5 barrels, 40% new oak again.
Relatively a tighter nose again. Swirling does slowly release some of the fine florality seen in other whites. Volume, clean, fresh, silky, the texture and depth of flavour, currently point to more oak – and as if to emphasis that the oak flavour starts to surface in the mid and finishing flavours. Like the last I would certainly wait a couple of years to re-visit.