It’s taken a while – but now I’ve only 40 more domaines to write up before the start of the harvest đ
The new report is online here.
I hope you enjoy it – and also here’s to all your weekends – it’s going to be a hot one where I live!
Cheers!!!
It’s taken a while – but now I’ve only 40 more domaines to write up before the start of the harvest đ
The new report is online here.
I hope you enjoy it – and also here’s to all your weekends – it’s going to be a hot one where I live!
Cheers!!!
Yesterday brought hail to Beaujolais. You can look through Jerome’s images above. This is already the third time that Beaujolais has experienced hail – (almost) always in different places…
You can also see from Jerome’s comments, that the hail followed a narrow but long corridor. As is often the case, the storms start in or around the combe of Beaujeu, this time following a line through the top of LantignĂ©, Emeringes, through the higher part of RegniĂ© then onwards above Morgon through Chiroubles and the rear hills of Fleurie. Chenas was hit a little but on the lower slopes of Moulin-Ă -Vent, there was only rain.
I asked a few vigneron(ne)s:
Richard Rottiers (Moulin Ă Vent): “The high parts of Beaujolais were touched but where I am in RomanĂšche it was only water!”
Paul Henri Thillardon (Chenas): “We lost 20% of the harvest a month ago but not yesterday!”
Anne-Sophie Dubois (Fleurie): “Indeed there was a storm with hail. The impacts are not very numerous but the vine has almost finished veraison. Open berries are now susceptible to rot. The problem is here. As usual, the weather will, or will not, clean up the situation.”
GrĂ©goire Hoppenot (Fleurie): “It seems that there is heavy damage on the ridges from LantigniĂ© to Emeringes. In particular the high parts of RegniĂ©, St Joseph, Chiroubles and the top of Fleurie. I don’t know the limits.”
Domaine Desvignes (Morgon): “No damage to the parcels that I looked at – so no hail for us this time.”
Laurent Martray (CĂŽte de Brouilly): “Apparently no damage for me – I don’t know about the other areas…”
So, it seems that the Beaujolais Crus have fared well versus the hyphen-Beaujolais villages. The 10-day forecast seems mainly thunderstorm free in the Beaujolais, the same can’t be said of Chablis or the CĂŽte d’Or, nor the CĂŽte Chalonnaise or MĂąconnais – I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed!
Time is running – week 30 already. The weekend wines were all very worthy, fortunately:
2018 C&F Gueguen, Chablis 1er Vaucoupin
Open, and easy aromas – I think I may guess Chablis blind. In the mouth similar – a certain fluidity if concentration – but the extra 1er cru depth is sufficiently evident for the label. This is a wine that drinks very easily – it’s not demanding – bit it IS delicious – yum!
Rebuy – Maybe
2019 Berthaut-Gerbet, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Les Plantes
Not a commonly seen 1er but here is a very impressive invitation to drink – the aromas flex their muscle but with elegance and depth – very lovely. Sweetness of clean, balanced fruit, some barrel sweetness but that fades with plenty of air. Broad, fine and intense too – and simply lovely texture. This is very fine – and drinking very well already – I love 2019!
Rebuy – Yes
2021 Julien Brocard, Chablis Boissonneuse
My first from this 7(!)-pack.
Like another recent 2021, both the amount of colour and ripe concentration is obvious – yet, so is the fresh energy and juicy, delicious drinkability. Clasically Chablis and wonderfully delicious – more oomph than the 2018 1er above – a great villages.
Rebuy – Yes
2010 Camille Giroud, Savigny-lĂšs-Beaune 1er Les Peuillets
I have quite a few vintages of this cuvĂ©e – I should start looking at them in a more serious manner!
Modest colour in our modern context but really without overt age. The nose is broad and faintly (warm-)spiced with a roundness to the red fruit – not overtly anything of age. Like most 2010s a juicy, mouthwatering fluidity over the palate that is just so satisfying. Versus 2010s from more renowned appellations, this has just a hint of austerity – call it a certain strictness. But the lip-smacking clean lines and still very modestly bitter bass-line in the finish has you searching for the next sip. That’s a very fine Savigny.
Rebuy – Maybe
It’s a little sad that this anniversary comes with some significant hail losses for thei 2023 anniversary vintage (see previous 2023 vintage update) but it’s an important anniversary all the same.
Some of first Burgundy vineyards to receive AOCs were Pouilly-FuissĂ© in December 1922 and Mercurey in May 1923 – most villages received their AOCs in the period 1935-1945. Also special was that Mercurey was one of only three (the others were Pouilly-FuissĂ© in 1922 and Pouilly-LochĂ© in 1936) to have their AOCs confirmed by decree of the courts. By the normal route Mercurey also had its AOC confirmed in 1936. But why the courts? The BIVB explains it thus:
100 years ago, Edouard de Suremain, a winemaker in Mercurey and also President of the Bar, with Antoine Rousseau from Saint-Martin-sous-Montaigu (before becoming the mayor) and their winemaker colleagues from the 3 villages: Bourgneuf-Val dâOr, Mercurey et Saint-Martin-sous-Montaigu, went to court to plead against the fact that winemakers in the neighbouring villages of Rully and Givry were using the Mercurey name on their labels to improve the chances of selling their wines.
It was a time when the concept of the appellation contrÎlée (AOC) with its customs and traditions, was still in its infancy.
The Mercurey appellation in short:
www.wine-searcher.com/burgundy-counts-the-cost-of-hail-storms
Maybe some extra infos for you in this article but it seems largely culled from the Instagram accounts of the vignerons concerned.
What’s missing from this report are the areas most affected by the hail – namely the higher slopes of Bouzeron that run into the plateau of Rully – some vignerons estimating more than 50% losses – parts of Mercurey and Givry were similarly affected and Montagny a little less. For now, it’s the CĂŽte de Chalonnaise that has seen the most significant losses.
Fortunately, Chablis has been spared from the hail for now. The problem in Chablis is different – mildew. At this time it’s the grapes that have been affected – see image right – rather than the leaves.
The preference would always be for the grapes because you lose those grapes that have been affected – they dry out and drop off. But if the leaves are affected they will also dry and drop off and you lose the ability to have photosynthesis and, hence, can’t ripen any remaining grapes. There are obviously some yield losses in Chablis as the image I show was, a few days ago, quite consistent across the villages, 1er and grand cru vineyards that I visited…
Harvest timing remains consistent for now – the cremant grapes already in the last days of August – perhaps the odd domaine in Meursault too. CĂŽte de Beaune producers largely looking at 05-09 September and the CĂŽte de Nuits 09 September onwards with many still looking to start around the 12th.
Keeping fingers crossed.
The Dönnhoff has always been very tasty, moreish wine – actually a bit too sweet – but that doesn’t seem to slow us down drinking it đ
2019 Zito, Gamay Noir
When I recently visited Bernard Zito, just as I was leaving he put this in my hands and said – tell me what you think. Apparently, it’s a blend of gamay from Beaujolais (CĂŽte de Brouilly), MĂąconnais and CĂŽte d’Or.
I love 2019 Beaujolais so it was hardly a surprise that I was going to love this too – the nose is very aromatic and floral-infused – give it enough air and there’s a hint more structure and a slightly graphite-style minerality. In the mouth this has volume and energy – it’s completely delicious – full of crunchy red and darker-red fruit. Joyous wine!
Rebuy – Yes
2021 Gautheron, Chablis Emeraude
My first from a dozen purchased.
Plenty of colour – more yellow than green. There’s plenty of weight, indeed concentration to this wine – ripe fruit but still with all the requisite energy and chiselled style that marks it out as Chablis – it’s delicious too!
Rebuy – Yes
Or maybe I should have said Prehy, in Chablis – but the family, and, of course, the vines are from Irancy. Brice’s father was one of the first in the village to change to organic farming. These wines were bottled at the start of November and contain only pinot:
2021 Irancy Paradis
A modest red colour. Old vines next to Mazelots â all pinot fin. Almost a small smoky note of tobacco to this nose. Nice shape in the mouth â juiciness of red fruit â just enough ripeness. The last drops are almost a little juicy, creamy, peach in the finish.
Rebuy – Maybe
2021 Irancy Mazelots
Younger colour and a little more colour too. A more vibrant nose â seemingly quite silky too. Hmm â texturally lovely â width and velour. The fruit with a small creamy cushion â itâs from an old demi-muid. This is delicious, impressive wine – very lovely in this difficult vintage.
Rebuy – Yes
It’s been about a week since the press release was set free into the wild but the ArtĂ©mis Domaines and Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite have announced that they have entered into exclusive negotiations for the sale of Domaine William FĂšvre from the former to the latter. A bit of a coup for the latter and I can’t help but feel a bit of a shame for the former. A shame? Well, it seems that they don’t value Chablis – one of the iconic wines of the world and they already have in their hands one of the greatest Chablis domaines – I’m sure DBRL will be very happy!
And things not yet announced? Well, the vineyard workers will always talk, won’t they?
It seems that my favourite domaine in Monthelie has a new owner – I suppose that the announcement is imminent but it seems that American couple â Mark Nunnelly and Denise DuprĂ© – who, were also owners of Leclerc Briant in Champagne and more recently Domaine Belleville in Mercurey and the ChĂąteau du Clos de la Commeraine are also the new owners of Domaine Monthelie Douhairet Porcheret.
I’m sure it’s not going to harm the quality of those excellent wines chez MDP – only the price that you might now be expected to pay for them đ
The weather was warm so it was no surprise that the accent was heavily white:
2016 François Buisson (Buisson-Battault), Bourgogne Chardonnay
Always a winner – the recent tasting of his 2022 showed a winner too. You will think that you have Meursault in your glass – only when you compare to an actual Meursault, particularly from François, will you see that there is more headroom. Drinking excellently and still very young.
Rebuy – Yes
1995 Germain (Chateau de Chorey-lĂšs-Beaune), Beaune 1er Les Cras
There’s some green, quite texturally green, on this nose – not pyrazine, rather ‘less ripe’ tannin – it’s like you can smell the tannins before you taste them! Then you, of course, you taste them! A wine that improves markedly with plenty of air – more than 1 hour – though it’s clearly wine from a different generation. Actually, this wine got better over a period of 3 days – until it was gone. A slightly masochistic pleasure but my pleasure all the same!
Rebuy – Probably not…
2017 Thibert, Pouilly-Fuissé Vignes Blanches
What an inviting nose! Wide, cool, and with the impression of minerality – something that’s amply delivered in the flavours. Clean-cut, precise with fine flavour depth and it’s absolutely delicious – that’s a great Pouilly!
Rebuy – Oh yes!
2020 Alain Geoffroy, Chablis 1er Beauroy
There’s plenty of colour to this wine. Aromatically, my nose is anticipating a little of the vintage green – but today I don’t find any – rather a richness and even slight sweetness of aroma. In the mouth this has good energy and even a hint of richness for Beauroy. Just a very good and tasty wine.
Rebuy – Maybe
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