Looking towards the Côte de Brouilly from Pizay (Morgon)
Tasted today at Bien-Boire-en-Beaujolais A quick-fire 43 bottles, starting with a section of new stuff from domaines that I largely don’t know, followed by some ‘old stuff’ from a mix of known and unknown domaines. I see that Jamie, who was there the day before, has also made a short film – I keep thinking abut doing the same – but editing time is not to be underestimated! Enjoy:
2015 Domaine Chignard, Fleurie Les Moriers
A nose with a dark depth and a brighter, almost floral top. Modest concentration, but a really fine texture and, still, depth of flavour. Waves of finishing flavour containing a little licorice and graphite – fine…
2016 Laurent Guillet, Domaine de la Chaponne, Morgon Côte du Py
Higher toned, more floral freshness. Much more floral and open on the palate. Long, graphitic, mineral finish – again. This is excellent!
2015 Cedric Vincent, Moulin à Vent les Merizes
Magnum – Vibrant, almost sweet raspberry nose. Depth of flavour, concentrated too, with unfolding layers, subtly accented with vanilla but at a level where I can’t (won’t!) complain. Excellent, indeed profound wine.
2016 Domaine de Milhomme, Beaujolais Vigne Centenaire
A pretty nose, modest of impact but with an engaging floral character. Bright, fresh, super concentration and complexity. A little herb complexity. But such delicious fun – for the label, great wine.
2017 Domaine Bertrand, Beaujolais Villages Super Canon
A pretty freshness, accented with attractive red fruit. Really mouth-filling, silky textured wine. Overt Beaujolais fruit style – but such fun – with layers of finishing flavour – excellent!
2016 Château Grange Cochard, Morgon Vieilles-Vignes
A narrow nose but with a top note of fresh fruit – slowly it widens, and deliciously! Ooh – a wine of comely sweet fruit, concentrated in the middle, but with a delicious finish. Tightly concentrated in the middle – delicious at all the edges – this just needs a little time, but it’s super!
2015 Domaine de la Bouronière, Fleurie
A modest nose but it gives the impression of silk. Direct, a little structured and muscular – not a Fleurie archetype – but there’s good density of mid-palate flavour that augers well.
2015 Pizay Morgon
Magnum – Almost black! A nose that initially lacks depth and seems a little volatile above. The flavours also hint at volatility, but there’s concentration and not a little tannin too. I’d avoid.
2015 Domaine Joncy, Côte de Brouilly
A width of sweet fruit, with more interest. Fresh, round in the middle, quite tasty fruit. Delicious!
2016 Domaine Joncy, Morgon
A relatively tight nose, but one with a very attractive floral component. A little accent of high-toned, almost volatile fruit. But very fine mouth-watering balance. The mid-palate into the finish are just lovely.
2016 Domaine de Fa, Fleurie Roche Guillon
A modest nose, very faintly floral. Good width of flavour and great texture. A fresh salinity and alround deliciousness. Yum!
2015 domaine Baron de l‘Evuse, Côte de Brouilly
Magnum – A wide and fresh nose, though a little herbed. Bigger and sweeter in the mouth than the nose suggested. A little fresh saline complexity abetting the weight of mid-palate flavour. Good wine.
2015 Domaine des Marrans, Fleurie
The nose offers A direct pyrazine note. Fresh, wide, open and tasty wine. Yum.
2016 Nicolas Chemarin, Beaujolais Villages Les Vignes de Jeannot
A deep, slightly brooding nose, sweetness and whole clusters – rather attractive, actually. Ooh, supple, concentrated in the middle, complex, and with lots of energy. Super wine, with a great finish!
2016 Domaine Clos du Fief, Juliénas Cuvée Prestige
A relatively tight nose. Fresh, layered wine, rather different in style to all that have come before. A strong saline accent in the finish. Tasty!
2017 Steeve Charvet, Chiroubles
A top and bottom style of nose, not so wide, but very attractive. Round, fine balance, supple and sweet – such a delicious thing. A modest accent of tannin in the finish. Super wine!
2016 Laurent Martray, Brouilly Corentin
An impression of aromatic weight at the base of this wine, otherwise the nose is again rather tight. Round, mouth-watering sweetness of flavour, beautiful fruit – really a super wine – bravo!
2015 Christophe Savoye, Chiroubles cuvée Loïc
An implied florality and depth, but quite a tight nose all the same. Bright, fresh, energy and concentration. This is really super, with lovely finishing layers of flavour.
2015 Romuald Petit, Morgon Pur Sang
Pur sang? Pur vanilla more like. Big, concentrated, vibrant wine – but not for me…
2016 Hirsch, Moulin à Vent
A modest nose some fresh complexity, a mix of herb and flowers. Volume and a nice fresh and sweet complexity in the mouth – much tastier than the nose suggests. Yum!
2015 Domaine de la Madone, Fleurie Dame de la Pétoche
A narrow nose but one that keeps adding more floral perfume. Round, a wine of freshness and sweetness of fruit. I like finish a lot – plenty of good parts here.
2014 Domaine Ruet, Brouilly Vieilles-Vignes
A narrow nose, but still a deep nose – lowly adding some floral interest too. Not as big as many on the mouth, but a wine that’s full of fresh energy – a dynamic wine – it’s delicious too!
2014 Jean Berard, Beaujolais Villages le Perreon Madone Bio
This nose is a little evolved, not so interesting. In the mouth its more alive, but also a little volatile. Not a great bottle…
2013 Chateau des Moriers Moulin à Vent Vieilles-Vignes
Hmm, less full-power than many, but here’s a nose still with lots of aromatic interest – perhaps a faint suggestion of vanilla too(?) Round, silky, nice concentration, yes some vanilla, but a 2013 that’s coming into a good place to drink. Tasty, with a little tannin in the finish too.
2013 Chateau des Ravatys, Côte de Brouilly R
Also an open if not full-power nose with hints of oak, pyrazine and fruit too. Round, fresh, good energy – a little vanilla in the complexity. But another 2013 that’s starting to show well.
2015 Domaine des Arbins Beaujolais Villages Terroir Thevenet
Not so wide but a really good depth of aroma. Intense, but not over extracted, complex and layered – what a wine – for the label a bravo wine!
2015 Clos de Mez, Fleurie La Dot
Deep colour. A faint but interesting nose, growing with floral notes. Round, but still direct intensity – oof! – this is turned into quite something – bravo!
2015 Domaine des Sochons, Morgon Côte du Py
Also deep colour, fresh, dark fruit, growing a lovely floral note too. Bright, transparent, open, fruit of intensity and freshness – ooh – great wine!
Now some old stuff:
1988 Pizay Morgon
Magnum – A sweet, chocolatey width of aroma. Bright, fresh, still a rasp of tannin, but no oxidative aspects. A super surprise!
2003 Clos du Fief, Juliénas
A sweetness of turned leaves and old fruit. Extra sweet on the palate, intense, wide, almost too much sweetness in all directions, but in great shape!
2009 Julien Duport, Côte de Brouilly
A slightly tighter nose. In the mouth direct and fresh after the 2003! A tasty wine of lots of fresh energy – yum!
2005 Baron de l’Ecuse, Côte de Brouilly
A less attractive nose – almost a little rubber. The palate is better, with direction and intensity, a little chocolate complexity too.
2013 Raphael Chopin, Gaïa
Not a super-large nose but fresh complex and attractive. Large-scaled, fresh, structured and oh-so complex. This is very young, but great wine, particularly for the vintage!
2006 Clos du Fief, Juliénas Cuvée Prestige
Quite a brown colour. A bit bretty. Soft, simple, round, oxidised. Worst wine of the day…
2007 Domaine des Sochons, Morgon Les Climats
A brighter nose – it doesn’t take much! Round, good freshness a modest oxidative character but an interesting wine none-the-less.
2007 Chateau Bonnet, Chénas Confidence de l‘Echevin
Deep, leafy, more vanilla than I’d like for the age, but still an attractively complex nose. Wide, silky, complex and fresh – I’d find it even greater if there was less vanilla!
2009 Clos de Hautes Combes, Juliénas
Magnum – Ooh – now that’s a big, bright, floral, super-attractive nose – it has my attention! Lots of complexity, freshness and indeed youth here – this is simply great stuff!
2009 Chateau Thivin, Côte de Brouilly cuvée Godefroy
Magnum – Actually a little tight, but some lovely floral notes start to come through. Hmm, lots of sweetness but sleekness of line too with such fine texture. Beautiful wine – no surprise.
2009 Domaine Ruet, Brouilly Vieilles-Vignes
Deep, a little extracted and stewed. Lots of volume and good freshness, the flavour profile seemingly also a little stewed too.
2009 Domaine Bertrand, Brouilly
Magnum – A modest intensity nose – just a little sweetness showing. Lots of volume, quite some energy too, this is super – it finishes a little quickly, but it’s super in the mouth!
2009 Domaine de la Madonne, Fleurie 1889
Ooh – volatile and stewed – in the mouth very high-toned though less obviously volatile. Actually quite tasty here, but I don’t like the nose…
2009 Domaine de la Bouronière, Fleurie
A narrow nose with some freshness. Nice volume with mouth-watering flavour. The finish is the best part, mineral, mouth-watering and showing some complexity.
2010 Chateau des Moriers Mouilin à Vent
Wide, floral and vanilla. Volume, freshness nicely open, good in the mouth despite the vanilla.
Now that’s a blackboard!
Opening vines
Opening trees
A Super Canon!
Pizay lunch…
