Tasted with Frédérique Goulley in Gevery-Chambertin, 03 October 2022.
Domaine Sérafin
7 Place du Château
21220 Gevrey-Chambertin
Tel: +33 3 80 34 35 40
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Frédérique on 2022:
“2022 is a good 30% below the limits – so I’d say roughly normal for us! That’s because we have a lot of old vines. We have reduced allocations cross the board in recent vintages, I’m hoping for better with 22!”
Frédérique on 2021:
“In 2021 we had a bit more than half a harvest – but that’s not really less than in 2020. We prune late and whilst I’m sure the frost had some small effect, we definitely weren’t very forward in the growth phase – we don’t start pruning here before 15 January. We stayed organic despite the weather but we had only 40% of normal in Pruliers and the Pressoniers is only just planted and because the vines are still quite low to the ground they were more susceptible to oïdium – so we chose not to harvest the few grapes they had.”
The wines…
I tasted these wines quite early – so no easy task – but there is much quality here in 2021.
The first wines will be racked at the end of the year and will stay at least a month in tank, bottling to start from February:
2021 Bourgogne
Vines next to their Gevrey vines, so, of course, all from the commune of Gevrey. 50% new oak
Thats got plenty of colour. Spicy oak but a cushion of good fruit too. Mouth—filling, sweetness of fruit that, like the nose, is oak spice infused today. But really not lacking much – this is very good.
2021 Gevrey-Chambertin
About 10 parcels included here, a little more than 1-hectare the vines averaging 50-years-old- the majors being Crais and Etelois – tasted from a new barrel.
More modest colour. The barrel, whilst less spicy is more dominant for this one, slightly reductive too. In the mouth more direct, more complex and there’s an extra depth to this flavour too. I’d give this wine 2-3 years in the cellar to tame the barrel flavours. Very good again.
2021 Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles-Vignes
Mainly next to 1er and grand cru sites plus the Brochon side of Gevrey. 70-75-years-old are the vine-ages on average but up to 100.
A wider panorama of aroma, an impression of both silk and minerals. Slight CO2 today but more mouth-filling and energetic – wide, and silky impression from the middle to finishing flavours – more persistence too. That’s going to be a lovely wine.
2021 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Les Corbeaux
Their 50-year-old vines are in a little clos which saved them from the frost in 16 and makes for a slightly different micro-climate – ‘It’s better to work in the mornings in the summer – it’s too hot in the afternoon!’ The wall offered some protection from the frost in 2021 too.
A slightly reductive oak fills the glass, the fruit taking more time to show itself. Larger scale again, more overt red fruit too. Layered flavour, lots of calm to this wine – contemplative. Fine and intense finishing. I love the complex perfumed finish here. Potentially excellent wine.
2021 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Fontenys
Plenty of fruit and barrel energy here. More open, it still has lots of red fruit complexity. Vibrant in the finishing flavours – nicely vivid presentation here and clearly more mineral in the finish too. Lovely wine!
2021 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cazetiers
Modest colour but a far from modest nose – a clarity of red fruit. Supple, bubbling with energy, rather easy red fruit but utterly delicious. Quite juicy finishing despite a modest lick of almost citrus skin tannin. Yum!
2 premiers from outside of Gevrey:
Lots of CO2 here. Again a red-fruited complexion with a faint barrel reduction asserting itself too. The gas is to the fore but wait, let it settle and there’s an extra creaminess visible to this energetic fruit – it’s clearly different. Lush, mouth-watering, great finishing – bravo!
2021 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Les Baudes
In the domaine since 1996 – like the Morey – both are usually the first harvested.
A more subdued nose, faintly darker fruit and yes the first with an overt floral component. Mouth-filling, it has nice energy and faint grain of tannin here too. The overall impression of tighter shape – less opinionated wine today but with both calm and substance. This will be lovely just have a little patience. Serene wine
2021 Charmes-Chambertin
Half Mazoyères – there’s about 0.15 ha of each – quite close to each other. Roughly 85-year-old vines.
Good colour though none have yet matched the Bourgogne. More subtle, less forward complexity here yet there’s perfume too. Obvious impact/density to this wine, cool, calm, calculated over the palate, layered even. Silken wine. Here is a lot of potential. Keep your patience but it’s going to be at least excellent! And there’s a sneaky reprise to this finishing flavour too – always a great sign!