Tasted in Premeaux-Prissey with Maxime Rion, 21 November 2022.
Domaine Michèle et Patrice Rion
1 Rue Maladière
21700, Premeaux
Tel: +33 3 80 62 32 63
www.patricerion.com
More reports for Domaine Patrice Rion
Maxime on 2022:
”It was a good year but just a normal volume – 35-36 hl/ha so really not large volumes. We did the work in the whole vintage too for the newer vines from the other branch of the Rion family. It was still an early vintage – starting 03 Sept – and followed some similar vintages like 18, and 20 for example which seemed simple but we had to keep a close watch on many of the fermentation parameters.”
Maxime on 2021:
“15-17 hl/ha and it was the mid-slopes that suffered the most – so it’s about half a harvest here. The pinots were a little less affected than the chardonnays. A more Burgundy-style vintage – a few pigeages and triages but we’re equipped these days to be more meticulous than was once the case. The process took a bit more time – but we had the time as the volumes were a bit lower! I mainly destemmed but for some of the crus I kept up to 30% of the whole bunches and, as usual, vinifications without sulfur – their elvage(s) are not shorter in this vintage – all have been racked and perhaps we will bottle the first wines a little later and the crus a little earlier – so could possibly do everything one week – possibly all done before Christmas. Less new oak – 20-25% was the rule for this vintage. An airy and fresh vintage but with acidities that are not too marked. I think the key with the small volume was that it allowed proper maturities – I’m not sure that we would have said the same if the volume had been double.”
The wines…
A fine range – as I have come to expect. On this day most are excellent and few are possibly even better than that – the usual suspects! A safe pair of hands – or pairs in this case!
2021 Bourgogne Pinot Noir
Premeaux and Chambolle fruit blended from contracts
Bright, sparkle-y purity of slightly darker fruit. Mouth-filling but pure and energetic – almost an apero wine but still the wine I want to drink – with a cascade of juicy dark fruit – just delicious
The well-known vines from the commune of Chambolle.
A broader, more sombre, first impression – but air pushes a fine violet perfume to the fore. Silkier and more concentrated – still a juiciness of darker-red fruit – here the minerality is also more present. A broader finish, almost chalky and more overtly long. Bravo!
2021 Côte de Nuits Villages Vieilles-Vignes
In Comblanchien a mix of 3 lieu-dits
A nose of less width but much more depth – there’s some vibrancy to this darker red fruit. Another step forward in concentration, wiry-muscle and a frame of fine tannin. This is beautifully constructed and has just a little more padding – for keeping a little longer – wait 3 or so years before attacking – it’s excellent.
2021 Chambolle-Musigny
This the négoce cuvée – like the first Bourgogne
Narrow but with a complex and fresh energy, faintly backed by some barrel spice here. The spice is on the palate too – as is a width of intense, acid-driven flavour. I like the finishing width and persistence of flavour – still faintly spiced but again with some violet complexity. Delicious again!
The vines near Bonnes-Mares with Fuées above – 40-year-old vines. This is a domaine wine.
Hmm – that’s a great nose – purity of flowers and fruit – complex too – I’m already hooked. In the mouth a little more supple, still wide and juicy – today less perfectly defined than the nose – but everything seems here. A certainly sparkly and long impression to the finishing flavour – this is very persistent too. So, a great nose – the palate ‘only’ very good today but I think it’s a wine that has everything – let’s see! Potentially a great villages.
2021 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Les Charmes
“It’s just the road that separates this Charmes from Amoureuses” – Part of this vineyard from 1925 ‘and still in a good condition.’
A calmer but wider complexity of aroma – the minerality seems more overt here. A stony flavour – cherry stones – intense and with plenty of concentration – a reasonable amount of tannin too – no facile vintage for Charmes this is excellent but it is for keeping 4-5 years before retuning. The finish is silky and mineral too – that tannin adding extra texture. It will be excellent…
2021 Nuits St.Georges Vieilles-Vignes
On the plateau next to Chateau Gris and Langecourt between Nuits and Premeaux
Good breadth and there’s some spice to this nose – it currently needs to express the top notes more. Supple, silky, cool fruit, growing in intensity – there’s a different and very nice finishing complexity here – fruit, flowers and minerals – currently more interesting than the Charmes. This is very good already and may become excellent – certainly for a villages!
2021 Nuits St.Georges 1er Clos des Argillières
Replanted a portion of the nearly 70-year-old vines last year with domaine’s massale selection.
Another nose that seems open but is just missing its higher tones. More direct, but certainly concentrated – the flavour framed with a small grain of tannin – juicy, then follows a width of rolling flavour – more mineral, that persists long, long. Another wine that will blossom more with age – but it’s damn good already…
Once more of considered and complex depth but in this case, the width of higher aromas is very attractive. The tannin is a little more present again – but there is clarity and energy to this width of cool and pure fruit. Really vibrant finishing but a wine to take your time over – this cuvée is usually great – in this vintage, you will have to wait 10+ years, and maybe it will be again!
Et les Blancs…
2021 Bourgogne Chardonnay
From the Hautes Côtes
Riper fruit but not really exotic – perhaps a little in the direction of pear but still with energy. Wide, good intensity – there’s some agrume intensity here that makes this a wine – despite some tannin and acid intensity – that you want to take another sip.
2021 Nuits St.Georges 1er Les Terres Blanches
As always about 10% pinot blanc in the plantation – the rest all chardonnay.
Deeper, starting a little savoury, slightly oaked and with a slightly reductive vibration too – altogether that’s still a great invitation. Mouth-filling, complex, and energetic – more impressively, fuller-shaped than the Bourgogne – and this flavour really takes off for a reprise in the finish – that’s an excellent wine – I love it! And impressively it’s long too…