Domaine Clos des Lambrays
Previous offer:
Clos des Lambrays 2011 150cl 278.00* (Swiss Francs)
Clos des Lambrays 2013 75cl 159.00
Clos des Lambrays 2014 75cl 159.00
Clos des Lambrays 2014 150cl 323.00
Clos des Lambrays 2016 75cl 225.00
Clos des Lambrays 2016 300cl 960.00
New offer:
Clos des Lambrays 2017 75cl 238.00
Clos des Lambrays 2017 150cl 481.00
Clos des Lambrays 2017 300cl 1,012.00
Clos des Lambrays 2018 75cl 258.00
Clos des Lambrays 2018 150cl 536.00

Domaine Marquis d’Angerville (in brackets the 2016s – I never saw 2017s…)
Volnay 1er Cru 2018 75cl 75.00 (—)
Volnay Fremiet 1er Cru 2018 75cl 105.00 (105.00)
Volnay Champans 1er Cru 2018 75cl 129.00 (129.00)
Volnay Clos des Ducs 1er Cru 2018 75cl 198.00 (—)

The price you see is ‘delivered’ but ex 8% Swiss purchase tax. Where you see (—) this means was not offered in the previous period. Of course, the new(ish) owners of the Clos des Lambrays are slowly increasing prices – as you would expect – despite very comfortable yields for the Morey domaine in 2017 and 2018. That said, compared to the pricing of d’Angerville, I would say that they are still ‘competitive!’

Wine is still a business – it’s simply an agriculture business – the work in the vines waits for neither man nor woman, so to that extent, it’s essential and ongoing.

Last week from the Beaujolais, you can read the thoughts of a number of local wine-business luminaries – in French, here.

Image from a reader…

In the Côte de Nuits, I see that brothers, Didier and Jean-Louis Amiot of Domaine Amiot in Morey St.Denis are embarking on a transition to two different domaines. The full details are yet to be communicated – for instance who will be exploiting exactly which vineyards – but the basic position is that the 2 new domaines are already physically separated. Domaine Didier Amiot is situated at 27 Grande Rue in Morey St.Denis, and Domaine Amiot et Fils (Jean-Louis and his son Léon) is at 33 Grande Rue.

Lastly, the team behind Domaine de la Commaraine in Pommard and Domaine Belleville in Rully have acquired 2.3 hectares of vines in the Côte de Nuits. 1.12 ha of which will be attended by a local vigneron(ne?) – Nuits St.Georges villages, Nuits St.Georges 1er Cru & Chambolle-Musigny villages – the remaining vines, managed by the team of Commaraine, include:
Nuits Saint Georges Premier Cru ‘Aux Bousselots’: 0.28 ha
Nuits Saint Georges Premier Cru ‘Roncières’: 0.50 ha
Nuits Saint Georges Village: 0.3 ha
Chambolle Musigny Village: 0.15 ha
It’s planned that the 2020 wines from these new plots will be made in the new cuverie of the Château de Commaraine.

The inbox is quite active with new offers – gotta do something while self-isolating, eh?

I like the fact that there’s a pause before the ‘new’ de Montille vintage is released, it was the same timing last year. The price in brackets is the same wine in 2016, where offered…

VINS ROUGES
Monthelie Vin Nature 2017 75cl 35.55 (Swiss Francs)
Beaune 1er Les Sizies 2017 75cl 50.40 (53.55)
Beaune 1er Les Grèves 2017 75cl 72.00 (71.55)
Nuits St.Georges 1er Aux Thorey 2017 75cl 79.20
Volnay 1er En Champans 2017 75cl 108.00 (107.10)
Volnay 1er Taillepieds 2017 75cl 112.50 (112.50)
Corton Clos du Roi 2017 75cl 139.50 (139.50)
Vosne-Romanée 1er Malconsorts 2017 75cl 300.00
Vosne-Romanée 1er Malconsorts Cuvée Christiane 2017 75cl 460.00

VINS BLANCS
Montagny Les Coères 2017 75cl 32.40
St.Romain 2017 75cl 32.85 (32.85)
St.Aubin 1er En Remilly 2017 75cl 43.65
Chassagne-Montrachet 2017 75cl 55.80
Puligny-Montrachet 2017 75cl 62.10
Puligny-Montrachet 1er Folatières 2017 75cl 109.80
Puligny-Montrachet 1er Caillerets 2017 75cl 130.50
Corton-Charlemagne 2017 75cl 135.00 (134.10)
Chevalier-Montrachet 2017 75cl 378.00

Note that these prices include Swiss purchase tax.

In my inbox – I offer the comparison with the previous prices (in brackets) of the 2017s, 2016s, and 2015…

Domaine de l’Arlot

Nuits-Saint-Georges Mont des Oiseaux 1er Cru 2018 75cl 69.50 (59.00, — 59.00)* Swiss Francs
Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru ‘Hors Ligne’ 2018 75cl — (79.00, —, —)
Nuits-Saint-Georges Clos de l’Arlot 1er Cru 2018 75cl 88.00 (85.00 85.00, 79.00)
Nuits-Saint-Georges Clos Forêts St-Georges 1er Cru 2018 75cl 88.00 (85.00 85.00, 79.00)
Nuits-Saint-Georges Clos Forêts St-Georges 1er Cru 2018 150cl 181.00, (175.00, 175.00, —)
Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots 1er Cru 2018 75cl 129.00 (119.00, 119.00, 109.00)
Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots 1er Cru 2018 150cl 263.00 (—)
Romanée Saint Vivant Grand Cru 2018 75cl — (—, 486.00, 445.00)

*Note that 8% sales tax is also due, but the delivery cost is included…

From my usual Swiss importer source. The prices of the 2017s, 2016s and 2015s from previous years are in brackets for you to compare (— means not offered). If you’ve read my 2018 Chablis report, you will know which ones of these I covet!

DOMAINE WILLIAM FEVRE CHABLIS 2018
CHABLIS Village 75cl 22.00 (22.00, 22.00, 19.00) Swiss Francs*
PREMIERS CRUS
CHABLIS Montée de Tonnerre 75cl 48.00 (48.00, 45.00, 42.00)
CHABLIS Vaulorent 75cl — (54.00, —, —)
GRANDS CRUS
CHABLIS Preuses 75cl 78.00 (78.00, 75.00, 65.00)
CHABLIS Preuses 150cl 161.00 (—)
CHABLIS Bougros Côtes de Bouquerots 75cl 79.00 (79.50, 79.00, 65.00)
CHABLIS Les Clos 75cl 94.00 (89.00, 89.00, 75.00)
CHABLIS Les Clos 150cl 193.00 (—)

Relatively a steady period for the prices here – unless you’re a Les Clos buyer – despite advantageous yields in 2018.
*The prices are ‘delivered’ but will attract another 8% Swiss purchase tax.

But still a satisfying result!

The auction of the Hospices de Nuits:

Before the sale there were many questions; would buyers come? How would the Trump-tax affect sales? How will the backdrop of coronavirus make itself felt? In the end, the buyers did come but largely, the newer Asian buyers chose not to make the trip – presumably due to virus worries.

The 59th Hospices de Nuits auction can consider itself a good one – not reaching the heights of the 2018 sale (the 2017 vintage delivered many barrels and 1.750M €) – but 1.60M € this year versus 1.475M € in 2019 left smiles on the faces of the organisers.

The result itself, per barrel, was better than it first seems as there were fewer barrels this year than in 2019 – the ‘correct‘ prices supported by good sentiments over the quality. So a modest price increase and a good sale for the Hospices de Nuits.

If for no other reason than that the price has hardly risen (here in Switzerland) for the last 10 years – see here – this must be a great value set of wines!

POUILLY-FUISSE Tête de Cru Les Perrières 2017 75cl 42.00 (*Swiss francs)
POUILLY-FUISSE Hors Classe Les Ménétrières 2017 75cl 52.00

*Delivered price, but Swiss purchase tax is still to be added – just under 8%.

I think the last offer that I saw from this local merchant was for the 2010s – so bit of a pause!
So the first price is for 2017, the second for 2018 and one in brackets, for comparison, is from 2010. — means ‘not offered…’

Vins blancs
PULIGNY-MONTRACHET Les Combettes 75cl 89.00*, 89.00 (66.00) *Swiss Francs
MEURSAULT Perrières 75cl 149.00, 149.00, (99.00)
CORTON CHARLEMAGNE 75cl 229.00, — (129.00)
CHEVALIER-MONTRACHET 75cl —, — (209.00)
MONTRACHET 75cl 598.00, — (399.00)

Vins rouges
BEAUNE Champs-Pimonts 75cl 48.00, — (29.80)
BEAUNE Grèves 75cl —, 59.00
VOLNAY Santenots 75cl —, 79.00 (56.00)
VOLNAY Clos des Santenots 75cl 109.00, 118.00 (69.50)
CORTON Bressandes 75cl 125.00, 129.00 (109.00)
CLOS DE VOUGEOT 75cl 129.00, 135.00 (118.00)
CHAMBERTIN 75cl 389.00, 389.00 (179.00)
ECHEZEAUX 75cl 399.00, 399.00 (179.00)
MUSIGNY 75cl 598.00, 598.00 (249.00)

As always, these are delivered prices, but excluding the Swiss purchase tax of almost 8%. The Corton and Clos de Vougeot seem like relative bargains when you consider how little their prices have appreciated!