Marie-Elodie Zighera Confuron’s wines

A mix of wines tasted at home, and three tasted in Beaujolais without the winemaker – hence no separate report – so starting with Clos de Mez:

2018 Clos de Mez, Fleurie La Dot
Plenty of colour but less overt than the Bachelard wines (where I was tasting). An open width of aroma – partly floral – rather inviting. Fine drive and good freshness – there’s energy here – the concentration is not so overt but it’s still there. Subtly framed with tannin but über-fine-grained. The finish has plenty of dimension and complexity too. Really excellent…

2017 Clos de Mez, Morgon Château Gaillard
Here is a little less colour. An open nose – floral above but with a width and depth of rounder, spiced, red fruit. Mouth-filling, growing with an extra intensity in the finish before slowly fading. The tannin is more forward here but with zero visible grain. Wider at the end. Very different shape to the wine – the vintage and the place. Another simply excellent wine.

And while tasting with Anne-Sophie Dubois:

2019 Sylvain Martel – Domaine Cabissou, Julienas Bessay
Partner of Anne-Sophie, these vines high on the hill with some clay but lots of blue-stone – ‘You notice straight away in the cuverie there’s a different side to this wine – not an easy parcel to work – we do everything with a Troye.’
A weight of aroma but freshness too, faintly herbed. More incisive freshness versus the previous Fleuries. Super mouth-watering style, slowly melting over the palate in fine style – that’s a lovely wine…

Finally at home, 4 top wines from the north and south of ‘Burgundy:’

2017 Gilbert Picq, Chablis Vidécorse
A deep nose of mildly textured ripe lemon – just the merest suggestion of salinity. Nicely incisive with a fine acidity – there’s a mineral concentration here – with accents from the citrus too. The finish has a very fine intensity – that’s really very long too. A wine that started round but became tauter and added tension as it became more aerated. Really excellent young Chablis!
Rebuy – Yes

2019 Raphael Chopin, Beaujolais Funambule
Actually this is a declassified Beaujolais Villages made with no added sulfur.
The nose is forward and rewardingly pure-fruited. I’m really enjoying the depth and texture of this wine – such a delicious, succulent fruit too – indeed quite sweet fruit but finishing deliciously juicy – bravo again!
Rebuy – Yes

2018 Domaine Monternot – Les Jumeaux, Beaujolais Villages Fruit et Terroir
Deep colour. The nose is fresh and excitingly deep-fruited – modestly spiced too. A super blend of energy and succulent dark fruit – extending beautifully into the finish. Bravo!
Rebuy – Yes

2010 Jean-Paul et Benoit Droin, Chablis 1er Vaillons
A baby – a reductive agrume nose here, becoming more waxy. A fine width of freshness. Slowly starting to show more mature notes in the middle. Finishing great – and oh-so complex. A top wine – and the longer it’s open, the fresher and less mature it seems to become. Simply great wine for today.
Rebuy – Yes

Plus a few images from Beaujolais last week. This week is a ‘typing week’ at home – back to Beaujolais for my second of three weeks, next week!

Poncié

Fleurie

Fleurie Les Labourons

Poncié

I often joke with winemakers that I’ve an ‘English palate’ i.e. I drink wine too young or too old – at least compared to them! For the latter category, how about 25 years for (an almost ready) villages and 8 years for a Côteaux Bourguignons? Actually, I’m still drinking some super Roty 2010 CB – though it had a Passetougrains label at that time…

1995 Grivot, Nuits St.Georges Les Lavières
Still very much a hit or a miss vintage. Grivot’s 1995 Nuits 1ers are drinking very well now, but this wine – which I could still enjoy – is still somewhat short of ‘charming.’ This nose is timid but clean – the palate still a little burly in that typical 1995 style. I’m sure I’ve 3 or 4 more of these, so no rush!
Rebuy – No because life is too short…

2012 Henry Fessy, Côteaux Bourguignons
A DIAM⁵ seal, the underside of which is full of dark, tartrate crystal – that’s the first time I remember seeing that on a DIAM! This wine, given the source, is almost certainly 100% gamay, and I think was bottled/labelled to celebrate the ne AOC of Côteaux Bourguignons
The nose is clean and young – there’s no real development here – indeed it’s sweetly inviting. The palate carries the merest suggestion of oak but is also super-silky. Strongly dark-red fruited. I find this disarmingly delicious. Great bang for the buck!
Rebuy – Yes

2012 Dampt Frères, Chablis Les Preuses
From magnum
Ohh, that’s a nose of chalky but inviting depth. Clean lines, freshness, padded citrus and than such an unfolding, wonderful, finish. A wine that drank superbly for two days – no problem! A great price and a great wine. Still a baby, but with none of the modest austerity I found in other 1er and grand cru 2012s this week.
Rebuy – Yes