Tasted in Marsannay with Philippe Huguenot, 10 December 2020.
Domaine Huguenot Père et Fils
7 Ruelle du Carron
21160 Marsannay-la-Côte
Tel: +33 3 80 52 11 56
www.domainehuguenot.com
More reports for Domaine Huguenot Père et Fils
Philippe on 2020:
“I think it’s a lovely year. Like 2019 it’s a small volume vintage – exactly the same yield on average as 2019 – there was a bit more chardonnay but a bit less pinot – the reverse of 2019. Both vintages had very little rain and a lot of heat but they are still different vintages; a bit more sunny wines in 2019 but both have good acidity – there’s more in 2020. I think the 2019s are super, they are more accessible – call it more commercial – but 2020 will be great.”
Philippe on 2019:
“To start with, I thought it too supple, maybe lacking a bit of acidity too – that was at the start of the elevage but it’s really a vintage that has gained a lot of precision in elevage and has become not too warm or easy. As for the 2019s at this stage, there have been no bottlings, those will start in January. Only the whites are ready to bottle – the reds, that’s for later…”
The wines…
A Marsannay domaine that really should now be on the tip of your tongue when looking for a wine of that label. The other wines are more than good too – check them out!
2019 Bourgogne Cote d’Or
Vines in the commune of Marsannay – ‘from the rosé section but we don’t make rosé!’ 2 parcels.
Here’s a nice depth of red fruit – pure and attractive. Wide, nicely shaped a little structure that elevates this from ‘easy.’ I like very much, that’s an excellent Bourgogne.
2019 Marsannay Héritage
The biggest cuvée of the domaine – about 4 hectares worth with multiple soil types. An assembly of multiple parcels mainly in the middle of Marsannay-La-Côte – ‘just one in the south the rest all central – About 40-45-year-old vines.’
A deeper, better-defined nose – that’s very attractive. More attack, more volume in the mouth – but open and airy, darker-red fruit. Wide and fine finishing. A lovely Marsannay!
2019 Marsannay La Montagne
White oolite with a bit more friable soil. ‘A cuvée that evolves every year – I replanted a small part – maybe this year the first inclusion – but I think it gains in precision each year.’ There are normally 5 parts to the cuvée though one was replanted after the frost of 2016.
A little more width of aroma at the base of this wine – becoming floral – that’s pretty. An extra freshness and drive to this flavour – floral-inflected flavours too. A little finishing salinity too. Complex, quite elegant finishing. That’s lovely again.
2019 Marsannay Les Champs Perdrix
Another type of soil – Premeaux/Comblanchien limestone. 2.5 ha in the south of the appellation close to Comblanchien/Fixin. ‘It’s a more airy style of wine from here.’
More weight of aroma but still a fine clarity of darker red fruit – very inviting. Extra width, still lovely energy – a small grain of tannin supporting these open flavours. Alost a little spice and certainly a fine persistence. That’s very lovely indeed.
2019 Marsannay Charmes au Pretre
Vines here of up to 80 years old. Same type of soil/limestone but mid-slope so less altitude than the last.
Deep again, but here with a touch of reduction today. Extra volume here but also some gas to contend with too. The texture is rather good – more velvet than silky but with a lovely fluidity of fresh flavour. Slightly barrel spiced and salted today.
North Fixin, close to Marsannay. Normally have some Petit Crais too but the volume was low so it was assembled with their Echelais to make this wine – maybe there will be a cuvée name, but they haven’t thought of one yet! It won’t be hard to find – they have only 1 Fixin.
Starting faintly reductive also but for this wine it quickly fades and there’s a nicely floral accent. It starts rather silky and open in the mouth – slowly gaining a modest tannin. But wide-open flavours of fresh red fruit are the mainstay of this wine. Open. Tasty – super wine – bravo villages Fixin!
2019 Côte de Nuits Villages La Créole
From Brochon on the border with Fixin – geologically exactly the same as Fixin. ‘It’s a small cuvée for us, open in its youth – it’s like a domesticated Fixin!’ Vines that I always need to find a new way to brake as they are so productive.
Depth, freshness and a faint accent of oak. Here’s a more overtly structural wine – a nice large framework of structure but with melting cool fruit flavours all around. A touch oak in the flavour – but not for long. Wide, tasty finishing with darker fruit too. Very good wine in 2019…
2019 Gevrey-Chambertin
Normally have Crais but like in Fixin there wasn’t a lot so it was blended with our parcel in Murots – from the same sector – and a little Jouise too.
Here’s an extra breadth of aroma – it’s deep and very faintly smoky too. Round, mouth-filling, a suggestion of reduction/minerlaity at the base. Concentrated and a little structured – very tasty and mouth-watering long into this fine finish. Lovely again.
Two parcels in Les Champs, more clay in this area.
Lots of colour in this wine. Tighter above but wide, deep and with an accent of smoky oak aroma – or whole cluster! Ooh – that’s big, fresh and energetic – cool fruit – absolutely delicious fruit! If the nose comes out of its shell this will be a great villages – fresh and oh-so long. Very classy wine.
Since 2018 also have a small parcel of champaux but not enough to vinify alone so goes into their Fontenys. Will replant in 2012 so this will be fully Fontenys next year.
A little compact in the top notes, but this has a fine width of darker fruit aroma. Beautifully textured, concentrated, layered but still always with plenty of fresh energy. A lovely, almost sparkly-flavoured finishing complexity. Have a little patience – there’s great material here.
2019 Charmes-Chambertin
A parcel of Charmes on the northern edge of the Charmes climat, close to Griotte. Not much soil here.
Plenty of colour again. A deep, deep nose – some reduction possibly. A little more mouth-filling volume. Plenty of flavours, of complexity, nicely mouth-watering. Certainly, a bit easier to assimilate than the Gevrey 1er Cru today. Waves of finishing flavour – very fine length. That’s a fine Charmes.
Les Blancs
“Had to press long as the skins were quite hard and there was not a lot of juice – it was easier in 2020 – our rendements in white were only about 30 hl/ha”
2019 Bourgogne Côte d’Or
Fined and modestly filtered just in the last days.
Direct and fresh, mineral, perhaps a hint of lime. A little agrume, just a touch of sweetness – a spiced impression in the middle too. The finish with the tannin of the vintage. And always slowly mouth-watering. Tasty, fine, Bourgogne.
2017 Marsannay Blanc ‘Collection’
About a dozen small parcels and three different types of soil. Some will be classed as 1er cru in the future – a mix of high and low slopes. 5-600 litre demi-muids with a little more lees than previously.
A finer impression of texture and a more open width of aroma. Again a small baseline of tannic grain, above is energy and freshness. This is rather tasty and a little zesty finishing – that’s a lovely finish too!
A little more clay in the soil here vs the Marsannay. Still young vines – about 10 years old.
A width of much more mineral aroma. Direct, almost linear starting – slowly widening with the mouth-watering citrus flavour. I often find a savoury character to Fixin Blanc but not a bit in this wine – open and delicious. One of the nicest white Fixins that I’ve ever met – Bravo for that!