Tasted in Premeaux with François Ambroise, 25 November 2022.
Maison Ambroise
8, rue de l’Eglise
21700 Premeaux Prissey
Tel: +33 3 80 62 30 19
www.ambroise.com
More reports with Domaine Ambroise
François on 2022:
“I’m so very happy with the volume in 22 – the yields were a little higher than usual – 38-40 hl/ha is usual for us but we did 45!”
François on 2021:
“Comparatively with others, 2021 was not too bad here – we only lost 50%! In 2016 we lost 75% – you could almost say that we did well! I started my harvest in the Côte de Beaune and then waited 5 days before harvesting in the Côte de Nuits. 12.5° to 13.5° was the result. I think it a real Burgundy vintage and I only used a little sugar to make the fermentation longer… The colours are deeper here? – Yes that’s possible, I kept the temperature high for a while when the ferments were finishing and had cuvaisons up to 25 days. It was a very hard vintage to work but I’m very happy with the final products.”
The wines…
It’s not uncommon in the Côte de Nuits that the elevage is not yet finished – a few wines gave that impression today – so you should see some conservatism in my notes – but these are deeply coloured and quite concentrated wines for the vintage – another reason to give them some time – occasionally they touch on ‘greatness’ for their respective labels too!
2021 Coteaux Bourgignone Lettre de Louise
A silky width of darker fruit – foudre aging for 10 months. Supple, concentrated with a grain of tannin. Wide and clean finishing. Give this a little time – the base material is tasty enough.
2021 Bourgogne Côte d’Or
They own almost 7 hectares of Bourgogne – all grapes from the Premeaux sector – Les Chaillots, Les Grands Chaillots. Bottled before harvest – currently one of only two reds that have been bottled.
A more vertical nose, there’s depth and more higher tones – more floral here too. They will bottle this in Decemmber. A wine that’s full and energetic – plenty of darker red fruit. With wide finishing layers of flavour.
2021 Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits
From Villars La Faye, similar oak treatment to the previous. This was in the Bourgogne before but now at 17 years old…
Lots of colour. Supple again – plenty of concentration but still mouth-watering and not strained. Easy broad finishing – deliciously finishing.
2021 Cote de Nuits Villages
From 3 sectors near the Clos de Marechale and Clos de l’Arlot.
Higher tones. Dark fruit again – lots of intensity. Both concentrated and supple. A style apart here – almost – such concentrated wine but balanced too. Completely delicious.
2021 Bourgogne Côte d’Or Vieilles-Vignes
75-year-old vines, on average. One of only 2 wines in 2021 where stems are included – 30% in this case.
Broader, more complex, some herb, some rose. Broad and full – really plenty of weight but not dense.
2021 Nuits St.Georges
From 4 sectors all close to the domaine in the south
Almost black – more like a 2020! Today the nose is more roast and less interesting – almost forced. But the breadth and flavour are much more accessible and interesting than the nose. If the nose opens and calms this will be excellent
2021 Vosne-Romanée aux Damaudes
A deep nose that’s suggestive of the previous wine but a little better. Mouth-filling, a big wine, melting, mouth-watering with flavour – a little monolithic in style today. The finish is pleasantly mouth-watering and tasty though.
2021 Beaune 1er Tuvillains
Made this wine with the same contract for 16 years, but not owned vines. The most frosted parcel of the domaine – normally 8 barrels – this vintage only 1.
A little smoky width here. Gassy – but with a super line of intense flavour – the finish is long, slightly haunting – very lovely finishing.
Two parcels Les Poisets and Les Longecourts. 30% wc in this one.
Mouth-filling, some faintly gassy energy but here is a super depth of flavour – like all these wines it will be better in a couple of years – they need to calm a bit – but this has the best blend of flavour and depth of flavour. It’s certainly excellent – it could be a great villages!
2021 Nuits St.Georges 1er Rue de Chaux
There’s not much soil here and what there is, is hard! 70% new oak like the last.
A broader, more higher-toned oaky nose – but with silky style. Muscular – wiry, athletic muscle. Next level clarity and with some florals – that’s a great finish – it’s already excellent wine.
2021 Nuits St.Georges 1er Vaucrains
Next to the Les St.Georges of Thibaut Liger-Belair. Also all new barrels, mainly large format.
The impression of CO2 in this aroma – plenty in the flavours too. Then energetic, powerful flavours – seemingly not to excess in any direction. This is quite a civilized Vaucrains – today I prefer the finish of the Rue de Chaux but this could be just as good.
2021 Clos de Vougeot Grand Maupertuis
A fermage contract. All new oak – 0.17 ha.
The most airy and open nose – that’s very attractive. Large scaled, full of energy plus clarity of flavour too. A wine with a vibration of finishing flavour and slightly savoury finishing flavour too – this is the best drinking wine of the line-up today – really super.
2021 Corton Le Rognets
Domaine, a 0.66 hectare parcel. 100% new oak.
A fine airy and attractive top note over deeper, darker more intense, brooding even, bass notes – slowly adding some florals too. Great scale and super, silky, concentration. These grand crus are the most accessible of the wines today!
Les blancs…
All DIAM – the white production is normally about 1/3 of the domaine:
2021 Bourgogne Aligoté
75-year-old average vine age planted by grand-father.
A structural, slightly metallic aromatic. More relaxed and interesting in the mouth than the nose first suggests. Easy and tasty.
2021 Bourgogne Côte d’Or Chardonnay
Half barrel and foudre with about 20% new barrels.
Easier aromatics. Mouth-filling, actually a little more structure than the aligoté, a small, almost tannic, grain. Tasty finishing
Premeaux from a little behind the Clos de Marechale – there’s 10% pinot gris in this. Plus vines in Villars le Faix and large format barrels. The previous two were bottled – August mainly – this not… ‘One of the best parcels as it hadn’t started growing when the frost came so it was almost a normal yield’
A little more attack – even some floral aspects. Extra energy and complexity – downright delicious and energetic – that’s a great Bourgogne.
2021 Saint Romain
A single parcel.
Again a slight rigour to this nose but it’s complex too. A little extra volume and a more seamless quality to the shape – the flavours practically as good as the previous. Excellent wine.
2021 Chassagne-Montrachet La Gujonne
A new, contract – from a friend – still quite young vines.
High florals and some extra stony depth. Broad and complex – there’s a lot depth here – good concentration and a faint edge of tannin – beautiful finishing – more tannin in the finish too – simply excellent