a few missing bottles from the last days…
First a triple Chablis whammy – three wines that have been staples in the last 12 months: 2020 Jacques Picq & Family, Chablis New chez nous. Classic 2020 Chablis with a little fleshy ripe citrus fruit but plenty of… Read More
basking in the sun part 2… the 2021 frost…
Basking in the sun… Part 1 It’s still much too early to properly take stock* other than to say that the frost of April 2021 – a month not yet over – was both a rare and a severely yield-limiting event. You will have to go back… Read More
2019 Beaujolais: ‘it doesn’t show the sun as much as we were expecting’
2019 Red Burgundy Part 1: Côte de Beaune – November 2020 2019 Red Burgundy Part 2: Côte de Nuits – December 2020 2019 Red Burgundy Part 3: (Here) Beaujolais – February 2021 2019 delivered a more classic timing for the harvest – indeed it was a late-harvest when compared to… Read More
Malandes – 2019
Tasted in Chablis with Amandine Marchive & Richard Rottiers, winemaker Guénolé Breteaudeau (left), who was bottling, joined for the photo, 07 January 2021. Domaine des Malandes 11 route d’Auxerre 89800 Chablis Tel. +33 3 86 42 41 37 www.domainedesmalandes.com More reports for Domaine Des Malandes The team on 2020: “In… Read More
some weekend wines…
Just a few quick recollections of 4 complete winners: 2017 Antoine Olivier, Santenay Le Bievaux l’Air de Rien DIAM sealed What a punchy and energetic wine. A touch of apple and pineapple and who knows what else in this delicious and effusive wine. Real concentration but never over-generous. Read More
Beaujolais’ boys and girls come to Beaune….
In the ‘square’ of Romain Escoffier’s Table du Square in Beaune (right), and with an occasional interloper, the brave young producers of Beaujolais set up stall in the heart of the Côte d’Or during the week of Burgundy’s Grands Jours de Bourgogne. This tasting was not in the official programme… Read More
staying healthy – but now it also gets complicated…
Much is down to chance, but you can also try to be sensible. Last week in Burgundy, the Grands Jours de Bourgogne was sensibly cancelled. 600-1,200 people per venue, pressing to get near to their favourite vigneron(ne)s, pouring, slurping, making the wine as intimate as possible with all… Read More
Malandes – 2018
Tasted in Chablis with Guénolé Breteaudeau & Richard Rottiers, 17 January 2020. Domaine des Malandes 11 route d’Auxerre 89800 Chablis Tel. +33 3 86 42 41 37 www.domainedesmalandes.com More reports for Domaine Des Malandes The team on… Read More
2019 Beaujolais Nouveau
160 wines blind-tasted in Beaujolais, 05 November 2019.
Of course, 2019 was another in the series, the trilogy, of warm years - but one with instances of frost. More drastic than the frost was a late-arriving hailstorm that on the 20th of August swept through the south of Beaujolais, cutting yields - in some cases drastically. The average losses were minus 30% - but it was Beaujolais-Villages where the most was lost, hence, the volume of ‘Nouveau de Garde’ has been significantly reduced this year.
I've previously laughed out load about the concept of Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau - Nouveau that you can cellar - so I will not bore you about that, not this time!
This year I embarked on a 160 wine gamayathon; I was certainly tired at the end, fortunately not emotional though! This year we even had 8 Nouveau of a different colour - rosé... That's up from the 3 from last year that I didn't taste(!) At this rate of growth we will have 20 in 2020!
What to expect and what's really worth buying
So three quite hot years, generally that's beneficial to the quality, but with three different results:
2017 - low yielding and probably because of that a really high quality in both the Nouveau and the Villages Nouveau
2018 - less low yielding, and that was the crux. Basic Nouveau was much more variable but the Villages Nouveau was more consistent
2019 - because of frost and hail, yields were cut, and for the consumer that has once more brought consistency and quality to the basic Nouveau category due to lower yields. I think only twice did I instantly say 'No!' and run from a particular wine. As for the Villages Nouveau - here was overwhelmingly more concentration and particularly intensity - the intensity of acidity - probably okay if you wish to cellar your Nouveau for 6-12 months, but I was looking for the balance for drinking now, and from this tasting that was relatively rare. As for the rosé wines - super, all of them - really a great source of easy, delicious drinking for the next weeks - or even longer - why not? Read More
