Tasted in Premeaux with Sylvie Poillot, 23 November 2022.
Domaine de la Vougeraie
Rue de l’Église
Premeaux
21700 Nuits St.Georges
Tel: +33 3 80 62 48 25
www.domainedelavougeraie.com
More reports with Domaine de la Vougeraie
Sylvie on 2022:
“Happy – a correct volume, not a big one.”
Sylvie on 2021:
“We started harvesting 17 September, finishing in the Hautes Côtes on the 1st of October – and have lost two-thirds of our harvest! Only the Bourgogne rouge is currently bottled – but it has a bunch of cases of Vosne in it this year as there were only 14 of them! It has mainly Nuits fruit but there’s some Volnay in there too. Just the grand crus saw some whole clusters. I didn’t do hardly any pigeage – it wasn’t necessary to extract – we respected the fruit instead – the triage was, however, very important!”
The wines…
A seriously good vintage for this domaine – great wines are scattered across the range of reds – thought it is ‘only’ the more serious whites where I feel the excel this year – but many wines that are worth a special search…
Plenty of grapes from Hautes Côtes and some Bourgogne in Volnay that was once in the Gambal domaine
Plenty of depth here, a bit of reduction too – but there’s concentration and plenty of colour. Hmm, yes there’s concentration here, a good fine texture too. Finishing wide and with a very high-quality finish – it’s to wait for – to open up – but here is a potentially great quality Bourgogne.
2021 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Clos de la Chapelle Monopole
Finer, more airy, more overtly red-fruited. Hmm, relaxed – more open than the Bourgogne today – much more accessible. Supple, broad, mouth-watering. Generously delicious.
2021 Chambolle-Musigny
Some 1ers (2) included – Baudes & Gruenchers – in total 6-7 parcels.
A more vertical nose – plenty of higher tones – the impression of a bit more aromatic structure. Wide, supple, more intense, than growing wider with finely mouth-watering, slightly sweet flavours, chalky finishing texture. This will be excellent!
The young vines now about 8-9 years old – the rest about 40 – It wasn’t just frost, they had to deal with hail in this sector too in 2021 – so 75-80% losses here
Hmm – direct, pure, peppery – a hyper-attractive nose. In the mouth too – direct, structurally shaped without hard edges – lovely clarity. Genuinely excellent, potentially a great wine in 21 – love!
2021 Nuits St.Georges 1er Clos de Thorey
The Monopoly of the clos here – the middle of Aux Thorey – but really not allowed to write monopole, despite using the label for many years at Rodet… This is half old vines, it won’t be bottled before Februaty.
Less colour but a very perfumed nose. Supple and silky – a little extra salinity in this case – then the perfume of the nose is reflected in these middle and finishing flavours – excellent 1er Cru.
Broader more spiced and invitingly complex. Sinew, and supple structure – a width of great, complex flavour – that you should let relax a little – 2-3 years and then enjoy over the next 20 – almost always a great wine here – it is most definitely in 2021!
2021 Clos de Vougeot
The small parcel at the bottom ex-Ponelle which is destemmed but a much large section in the middle which provides the whole clusters, completes 1.5 ha for this cuvée.
Also modestly coloured – at least compared to their Bourgogne! Extra perfume – a little floral here. More direct, super melting, architecturally flavoured but without the ‘classical’ austerity of the Clos. Broad and complex and spiced in the finishing flavours – proper grand cru length. You could honestly drink this today – but the next level will come in 12-15 years…
Vines that are about 120 years old – the oldest of the domaine – and not touched by the frost as they are quite late to start growing – hence…
A fuller nose – complex, perfumed, a hint smoky too. Supple, fluid, with a couple of mm of cushion adding to the generosity of this, depth of interesting flavour. Really a great wine – bravo!
From Chambolle-side, right on the border with Morey… “You can’t miss it, it’s that hole in the ground with the sign, plus another higher parcel.”
Ooh – that’s complex – there’s rose perfume from the stems, an attractive hint of green and such energy. Broad, mobile, energetic, cool-flavoured – really the perfume throughout this impressive wine. The stems are strong in this one but hardly gothic – take your time – it will start touching greatness only in 15-20 years…
All whole cluster. Since 2021 moved from the small caterpillar tractor to using a horse.
The perfume of the Bonnes-Mares but on a deeper register – finer too! Roses, silk, nice fresh concentration – more rounded, perhaps more complete than the BM – a finish that resonates over the palate – it seems un-ending. Bravo is such a small word…
The Whites:
No whites are bottled yet.
2021 Bourgogne Chardonnay Terres de Famille
Hautes cotes, some Chassagne and some Volnay commune vines.
A little toast, grilled nuts too. Some gas. Vibrant, mouth-watering pure and ripe with juicy citrus. This finishes really well, still quite toasty.
2021 Puligny-Montrachet
From the usual 3 parcels.
A little toasted bread and here with more width to the aromas. Incisive, wider, juicy wine. Vibrantly finishing – this toastiness would have me waiting 2-3 years but how delicious it is!
2021 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Morgeot Clos de la Chapelle
Less toast and more width of fine, riper, citrus complexity – that’s a fine invitation. Broad, mineral, architectural wine – beautifully textured – not a bit aggressive indeed a little contemplative. Beautiful finishing width – blood orange and quince complexity. I love this!
2021 Vougeot 1er Clos Blanc de Vougeot
Always 3 harvests here – top, middle and then the bottom comes last. 33 hl/ha – not bad for a frosty year!
Back to the grilled bread and nuts – a vibrancy of aroma here – almost a little spice too. Broad, easy over the palate, concentrated yet mouth-watering. A wine of mineral persistence – great persistence. A wine that always appreciates time in bottle – I’d start drinking these only after 10 years… – other people’s bottles (corks!)
2 vines – one week difference in harvesting – one Le Charlemagne, the other En Charlemagne. Now labelled since 2013 as ‘Charlemagne,’ the en and le assembled just before bottling.
Still a hint of toast but the shape of this is very different – airy – impressive volume with a vibration of ripe citrus. Large scale, fresh, cool fruit – growing intensity that’s becoming more and more direct as you head through the middle flavours towards the finish. Such a super wine – dynamic and pure in the finish – bravo.
Three parcels, totalling 0.38 ha
The toast of the range this year – mixed with a small firework reduction. Broad, cool fruit, mineral – not a fat Bâtard, one with fluidity yet intensity. I really love this style of Batard – I’ll happily wait for the toasty notes to fade but the shape and mouth-watering intensity are exactly what I’m looking for from this wine – and, of course, the insistency of these finishing flavours too. A little extra lemon skin complexity in here. Bravo!