The 2011s of Domaine Antoine et Rachel Olivier

Update 19.12.2012(18.12.2012)billn

Despite his upbeat demeanour, Antoine Olivier underlined the scale of yield losses in Santenay, not just in 2012, but stretching back as far as 2003.

It has become easy to characterise the recent vintages in Santenay; those that have been hailed, and those that haven’t. If you take the 10 year period of 2003-2012 (inclusive), versus the average, Santenay has lost the equivalent of four complete vintages!

Concentrates the mind – eh?!

The domaine is now using (only) DIAM 5 or screwcap for their whites, and what whites…

Les rouges…
2011 A&R Olivier, Santenay Les Temps de C(e)Rises

P3, but very nice fruit aromas too. Good follow-through of flavour through the wine, underpinned by a nice baseline of structure.
2011 A&R Olivier, Savigny-lès-Beaune Les Liards
P3 but with wider and finer red fruit notes than the Santenay. This is lovely in the mouth – fine fruit I think.
2011 A&R Olivier, Santenay Les Charmes
A depth of pretty red fruit aroma. This wine is principally about a moreish core of red fruit that’s supported by a fine base of acidity. Very moreish indeed!
2011 A&R Olivier, Santenay 1er Beaurepaire
P1. Wide with good depth of concentrated dark-red fruit. This quite elegant, just a little more to the mid-palate. Good interest in the finish too.
2011 A&R Olivier, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Les Peuillets
P4. Here is the narrow, perhaps more focused expression of Savigny fruit – but there is depth and precision. Good.
2011 A&R Olivier, Pommard
80% sourced from Noizons.
A little manipulation of the aromas by reduction. Also darker fruit. There is nice energy here – I like the finish too. Good wine.
2011 A&R Olivier, Santenay Clos des Champs Carafe
Champs Carafe is a part of Les Bras. Les Bras is the ‘official’ lieux-dit with 2 subdivisions; Champs Carafe and Daumelles, Champs Carafe is the higher part.
Shy nose. Very wide and pretty flavours – delicious – growing acidity. Very tasty in the finish too!
Les Blancs…
2011 A&R Olivier, Santenay Les Côteaux Sous la Roche

The nose is deep and quite concentrated – the aromas mix sweet and savoury. There’s a little CO2 but there’s wide and pretty fruit too. A beautiful base of acidity here, lovely finishing concentration too. Yum!
2011 A&R Olivier, Santenay Le Bievaux
Here is a denser, riper fruit nose with hints of green-skinned fruit. In the mouth, delicious acidity and fruit together. Very well concentrated – just a very moreish wine – lovely!
2011 A&R Olivier, Santenay 1er Beaurepaire Blanc
Rather denser aromas. Fills the mouth and there’s a gorgeous growth of intense mineral-laden fruit flavour in the mid-palate. Just fabulous!!!
2011 A&R Olivier, Meursault Bois du Blagny
There’s a slight excess of sulfur just now, but behind are high-tones and flowers. More concentration and more intense even than the Beaurepaire – perfect acidity. Lovely mineral flavour with some agrumes. Excellent!
2010 A&R Olivier, Santenay Le Bievaux
Peach aroma. Round. Beautifully growing flavour. Super!
2009 A&R Olivier, Santenay Le Bievaux
More herbs. The flavours seem more mineral than the 2010 – unexpected! This is very, very impressive with a faint patisserie note in the finish. Long-lasting flavour, again with a little agrumes.
2008 A&R Olivier, Santenay Le Bievaux
Higher-toned but now with a little savoury element too – but perhaps a reductive note too. Glorious acidity set against sweet fruit – super intense. Again mineral finishing – bravo!

Domaine Olivier
Antoine et Rachel Olivier
5 rue Gaudin
21590 Santenay, France
Tel: +33 (0)3 80 20 61 35
Fax: +33 (0)3 80 20 64 82
www.domaineolivier.fr

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