Northern Rhône Wines (Collines Rhodaniennes, Condrieu, Crozes-Hermitage, Saint-Joseph, Saint-Péray): Bécheras, Cuilleron, Curtat, Faury

(Originally published 26 May 2018.)

The wines from 2016 generally have more acidity and freshness but less sensuality than their 2015 counterparts. Both make for very good drinking for serious Rhône drinkers. (Continue reading here.)

Northern Rhône Wines Recently Tasted (Condrieu, Cornas, Côte-Rôtie, Crozes-Hermitage, Saint-Jospeh): Ferraton, François, Gérard, Gilles

(Originally published 28 May 2018.)

(Continue reading here.)

Northern Rhône Wines Recently Tasted (Crozes-Hermitage, Saint-Joseph, Vin de Pays de l'Ardèche: Gonon, A. Graillot, Gripa

(Originally published 31 May 2018.)

(Continue reading here.)

Northern Rhône Wines Recently Tasted (Collines Rhodaniennes, Cornas, Côte-Rôtie, Saint-Joseph: Jamet (Corinee, Jean-Paul & Loïc), Levet, Lionnet, Marsanne

(Originally published 1 June 2018.)

(Continue reading here.)

Loire Reds Recently Drunk ((Bourgueil, Chinon, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, Coteaux du Vendômois): Amirault-Grosbois, Baudry, Breton, Chanteleuserie/Boucard, Colin

(Originally published 12 June 2018.)

There are outstanding values to be had from Loire reds, but they may not be easy to find, as 2016 and 2017 had very small harvests. (Continue reading here.)

More Loire Reds Recently Drunk (Chinon, Côtes du Forez, Côtes Roannaise, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, Saumur-Champigny): Germain/Roches Neuves, Joguet, Legrand, Mabileau, La Madone/Bonnefoy, Porte St-Jean/Dittière, Sérol, Vaillant/Grandes Vignes, Verdier-Logel

(Originally published 13 June 2018.)

One can find some excellent values here. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine Paul et Marie JACQUESON (Rully) -- 2016 Tasted from Bottle

(Originally published 1 July 2018.)

This is one of my favorite estates in the Côte Chalonnaise. Should you be lucky enough to come across the wines, don’t pass them up. (Continue reading here.)

Miscellaneous 2016 Whites from Southern Burgundy: Drouhin, Janin, Lafon, Marchand-Tawse, Robert-Denogent, Soeur Cadette/Montanet, Thévenet/7 Terroirs

(Originally published 2 July 2018.) 

(Continue reading here.)

Domaine Alain HUDELOT-NOËLLAT (Chambolle-Musigny) -- 2015 Tasted from Bottle

(Originally published 5 July 2018.)

My review of these and other wines tasted from barrel is here.

The outstanding quality that this estate has attained in recent years is amply reflected in these wines. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine Alain HUDELOT-NOËLLAT (Chambolle-Musigny) -- 2015 Tasted from Barrel

(Originally published 5 January 2017.)

Charles van Canneyt said that harvesting began on 7 September. He said that yields were “corrects" — meaning adequate or decent. Except for the Bourgogne, there was “a little” whole cluster in all the wines. Malolactic fermentations were late.

The estate has been on the rise since the late 1990s, but since Charles has been here, the quality has really solidified. The scores, which I try to do on a more or less objective basis,* are high here, but thinking back on all my visits to taste 2015s, this was one of the estates where the wines had a special appeal to me personally. I urge you to try these wines, should you get the opportunity.

* All aesthetic judgments are contextual and subjective, but one can also introduce an an air of objectivity by judging according to consistent parameters.

(Continue reading here.)

Domaine ROLLIN Père & Fils (Pernand-Vergelesses) -- 2016 Tasted from Bottle

As with other producers in Pernand-Vergelesses and Savigny-les-Beaune, I did no visits in 2017 to taste the 2016s prior to bottling because so little wine was produced. These two wines from bottle, though, demonstrate that what wine was made could be outstanding.

Both these wines are red. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine Rémi ROLLIN Père & Fils (Pernand-Vergelesses) -- 2017 Tasted from Bottle, Barrel, and Tank

There was a green harvest here over the summer, and in fact, for the Fichots vineyard, more fruit was taken off the vine during the 2017 green harvest than was taken in at final harvest in 2016 — an insight into how badly the producers of the Savigny-Pernand sector were hit in 2016.

Harvesting began around 6-8 September. As always here, the reds were entirely destemmed. There was very little chaptalization. The malic acidities were fairly low, and the malo-lactic fermentations were deliberately delayed here.

Year after year, Rollin’s wines, especially for those willing to give them a little time in the cellar, demonstrate that the wines in this corner of the Côte de Beaune have their own style and can provide excellent quality and value. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine Georges NOËLLAT (Vosne-Romanée) -- 2015 Tasted from Bottle

(Originally published 6 July 2018.)

These are the domaine wines; two of the 2015 négociant wines Maxime Cheurlin made under his own name are reviewed from bottle here. Notes on both the domaine and negociant tasted from barrel are here.

(Continue reading here.)

Maxime CHEURLIN-NOËLLAT (Vosne-Romanée) -- 2015 Tasted from Bottle

(Originally published 23 December 2017.)

These are negociant wines made by Maxime Cheurlin of Domaine Georges Noëllat. They are two impressive wines worth your attention, should you come across them. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine Georges NOËLLAT/Maxime CHEURLIN-NOËLLAT (Vosne-Romanée) -- 2015 Tasted from Barrel

(Originally published 1 February 2017.)

I’ve been reporting since the renewal of this estate about 5 years ago under Maxime Cheurlin on the wines of note. Starting at a high level (with old vines and great terroirs), they have been improving each year. 

Harvesting here took place between 12 and 14 September. Wines that had whole clusters in them are Vosne-Chaumes, Chambolle-Feusselottes, and Echézeaux.

Maxime has added wines as a négociant and in the future will be adding more, both as a négociant and as a proprietor (I believe that the estate started with 5.5 ha when he began and he told me last fall that it was now up to 11 ha, although 4 ha in the Hautes-Côtes would require new planting). Wines below marked with an asterisk (*) are from bought-in grapes will be sold under the name Maxime Cheurlin-Noëllat. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine FOURRIER (Gevrey-Chambertin) -- 2015 Tasted from Bottle

(Originally published 7 July 2018.)

As one would expect, another very successful vintage from Jean-Marie Fourrier. These wines and others are reviewed from tank and barrel here.

The compression of quality in the 2015 is quite evident with these wines, with not all that much difference in quality showing between the village wine and the premiers crus. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine FOURRIER (Gevrey-Chambertin) -- 2015 Tasted from Tank and Barrel

(Originally published 15 March 2017.)

Jean-Marie Fourrier said that harvesting began on 1 September and lasted six days. As usual, all wines were fermented without whole clusters. Malolactic fermentations began and finished early: by mid-February, most had finished. He expected to bottle the wines in February 2017. 

As for the vintage, he compared it to a cross between 2009 and 2010 in style. 

The wines for the rich collectors have become the Clos Saint-Jacques and the Griotte-Chambertin, but look at the whole lineup and you’ll see that one can do quite well with the premiers crus and even the village wines, and for much better value. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine ARNOUX-LACHAUX (Vosne-Romanée) -- 2015 Tasted from Bottle

(Originally published 8 July 2018.)

My explanation of the 2015 vintage at Arnoux-Lachaux and review of the wines (mostly) from barrel is here.https://the-fine-wine-review.blogspot.com/p/originally-published-10-march-2017.html

As I’ve written before, Jean-Charles Lachaux has taken the domaine in a new stylistic direction and is doing an excellent job with it. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine ARNOUX-LACHAUX (Vosne-Romanée) -- 2015 Tasted from Barrel and Bottle

(Originally published 9 March 2017.)

I’ve known the wines of this estate through three generations: Robert Arnoux, his son-in-law Pascal Lachaux, and now Pascal’s son and Arnoux’s grandson, Charles Lachaux (Pascal is still involved, though). There have been changes in styles of the wines during this long period, but the wines have always been of high quality. That said, these 2015s are potentially the best of all the vintages I’ve known here. Of course, it helps to have excellently-sited and cared-for vineyards and old vines (the youngest are in their early 40s, average age for the domaine is 50-60 years, and the Romanée-Saint-Vivant vines are 90 years-old).

Harvesting took place from 3 to 7 September. Yields were small — generally about 25-30 hl/ha for village wines, 20 hl/ha for the premiers crus, and 15-18 hl/ha for the grands crus. Overall, this represents about half a full cellar (and half of 2014). Charles attributes the reduced production to the small grapes due to the grass in the rows competing with the vines for water during the dry summer. All wines are minimum 70% whole clusters, as indicated below. Chaptalization was minimum, 0.1 or 0.2º, in some cases none. New oak is 15% for the village wines ranging up to 35% for the Romanée-Saint-Vivant; Charles said that he couldn’t reduce the new oak as much in 2014 because he did not have enough used barrels. Timing of malolactic fermentations was normal for the estate. The pHs here finished around 3.70, which was lower (i.e., higher acid) than Charles expected for the year. 

The changes that Charles has instituted are major, both in the vineyard and in the cellar. Among the changes in the vineyard are a new canopy management system (cutting the tops of the vines later and taller in the past, thereby permitting more photosynthesis and earlier ripening). Another change is in the pruning system. He is now pruning longer using a system that predominated in older days in Chassagne and Puligny. Charles says that he was inspired to used this system by Luc Pavelot of Domaine Pavelot in Pernand-Vergelesses who has always used this system, and Charles says the Domaine Leroy does something similar.

In the cellar, the major changes have been the reduction of new oak (which had been 100% new at one time) and the use of whole clusters, which prior to Charles had been long eschewed here.

These are some of the most successful wines of 2015 at all levels and worthy of your highest interest, even if you have not followed the estate in recent years. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine du CROIX (Beaune) -- 2015 Tasted from Bottle

(Originally published 9 July 2018.)

David Croix has made very good wines whenever I have tasted them. That's certainly the case here, too, although one the whole, these wines were a little below what I had expected; perhaps they'd already begun to shut down. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine Michel LAFARGE (Volnay) -- 2017 Tasted from Tank Sample, Barrel, and One from Bottle

This is one of the great estates of Burgundy and has been for generations, even before Michel Lafarge, who recently celebrated his 90th birthday and is in amazing mental and physical shape, brought the domaine to international attention. Michel’s son Frédéric recently celebrated his 60th birthday has continued the tradition, and on this trip I briefly met Frédéric’s daughter Clothilde who now works in the estate, too.

Frédéric Lafarge said that the fires and smoke to combat the freeze at the end of April saved the vintage. Harvesting began on 1 September with the Volnay-Clos du Château des Ducs and Pommard-Pézerolles and then ceased until 5 September. When vineyards suffer from a freeze (as opposed to hail), the following year, they tend to produce. abundantly. Here, the yields were nevertheless restricted, with the premiers crus averaging about 35hl/ha. As always here, the grapes were completely destemmed. With the pause after the harvesting of the Clos du Château des Ducs and Pézerolles, the harvesting team spent the time destemming those grapes by hand, grape by grape.

Malo-lactic fermentations were early, beginning in December and finishing in January. The wines remained on the lees until racking in the last half of August. 

The estate has been biodynamic since the late 1990s.

This is a great set of wines with eight premiers crus of top quality, and finally, reasonable quantities will be available. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine de la POUSSE D'OR (Volnay) -- 2015 Tasted from Bottle

(Originally published 10 July 2018.)

Background on the 2015 vintage at Pousse d’Or and my tasting of these and other wines is located here. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine de la POUSSE D'OR (Volnay) -- 2015 Tasted from Tank Sample Part II: Côte de Nuits

(Originally published 29 December 2016.)

As with the Côte de Beaune wines, 2015 is a great vintage on the Nuits side for this outstanding estate. Also as on the Côte de Beaune, the frost in 2016 severely hit the Côte de Nuits vineyards here (Clos de la Roche is an exception). As I mentioned in the previous review, this is an estate that follows biodynamic practices. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine de la POUSSE D'OR (Volnay) -- 2015 Tasted from Tank Samples: Part I: Côte de Beaune

(Originally published 29 December 2016.)

Hubert Rossignol, chef de culture, said that yields overall in 2015 were “average” — a fortunate rarity in the Côte d’Or in 2015. As usual, wines here are entirely destemmed. Malolactic fermentations finished between May and August. The alcohols for the Côte de Beaune wines “flirt" with 13º except fro the Cortons, which are at 13.5º. 

The estate is organic and biodynamic. (Continue reading here.)

Northern Rhône Wines Recently Tasted (Collines Rhodaniennes, Côtes-du-Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage, Saint-Joseph,: Coursodon, Ferraton, Gonon, Jamet (Corine, Jean-PAul & Loïc), Perret

(Originally published 12 July 2018.)

With 2015 and 2016, we have two excellent vintages, with, in general, more freshness in 2016 and more power in 2015. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine Y. CLERGET (Volnay) -- 2015 Tasted from Bottle

(Originally published 14 July 2018.)

My experience with wines from this producer is not broad, but this quartet confirms my previous views: not at the top of the (very competitive) heap, but wines that I am more than happy to drink. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine Étienne SAUZET (Puligny-Montrachet) -- 2015 Tasted from Bottle

(Originally published 16 July 2018.)

For the most part, this selection of wines seems more about the vintage than the respective terroirs. There’s a touch of tropical fruit to several of them and except for the Combettes, terroir is not a strong element. Perhaps with time they will shape up? (Continue reading here.)

Domaine HEITZ-LOCHARDET (Chassagne-Montrachet) -- 2015 Tasted from Bottle

(Originally published 17 July 2018.)

The wines from this estate have only appeared on the market beginning with the 2013 vintage; prior to that, Joseph Drouhin was fortunate enough to take the harvest; as you can see below, there are some very choice appellations.

Production is now biodynamic.

The wines I’ve tasted have been good to very good, but there is a lot of promise here, and this is an estate worth watching. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine Nicolas ROSSIGNOL (Volnay) -- 2015 Tasted from Bottle

(Originally published 19 July 2018.)

Some years ago, I found Rossignol’s wines to be grotesquely over-extracted and over-oaked. They’ve improved since then, but still have further to go, in my opinion. Some others are more positive about these wines than I. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine CAMUS-BRUCHON (Savigny-les-Beaune) -- 2016s Tasted from Bottle

As I’ve previously mentioned, because of the severe losses in 2016 due to frost damage, I did not do visits in Savigny-les-Beaune to taste 2016s from barrel. On my most recent visit to Domaine Camus-Bruchon, Guillaume Camus generously opened these two 2016s from bottle.

Harvesting in 2016 began around 23 September. The wines were bottled in November 2017. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine CAMUS-BRUCHON (Savigny-les-Beaune) -- 2017 Tasted from Tank Samples

Guillaume Camus said that over the summer (late July and early August), some leaves were taken off the vines. There was a green harvest for certain parcels, mainly the village Savigny-les-Beaune. He began harvesting on 7 September. There was a triage in the field, but very little needed to be eliminated. vines. Yields were generous, almost at the limit. 

Some of the cuvées had low malic acidities, but others were higher. There was no bleeding of the vats (saignée). For the reds, he kept 30% of the stems. There was a little chaptalization for the parcels most affected by the drought. The Savigny village wines are 12.7-13º alcohol, the Chorey 13º, and the premiers crus also are around 13º.  The Pimentiers, Grands Liards, and the Savigny and Beaune premiers crus were raised in part in 500-liter barrels.

As usual, there is outstanding quality here and great value. (Continue reading here.)

Miscellaneous Wines from Provence and Southern Rhône: Bargemone/Garin, Bastide Blanche/Bronzo, Fondrèche/Barthélemy & Vincenti, Fouques/Gros, Galantin/Achille, Oratoire St-Marin/Alary

(Originally published 23 July 2018.)

All wines below are red except as otherwise indicated. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine Hervé SIGAUT (Chambolle-Musigny) -- 2015 Tasted from Bottle

(Originally published 26 July 2018.)

This estate practices lutte raisonnée in the vineyards (i.e., only use non-organic ingredients as a last resort). All grapes are destemmed, and use of new oak is modest: 10 - 33%. The estate produces two village Chambolles, six Chambolle premiers crus, two Morey premiers crus, and in white, a well-sited village Puligny (Enseignières). 

The prices of top Chambolle (and Morey) producers such as Roumier and Mugnier has skyrocketed, creating an opening for less well-known producers to bring their wines to the fore. Sigaut is one of them; there are others in that category that I would more willingly search out, as I find some rusticity here and terroir expression is not strong. But still, there are good vineyards here, so this is an estate worth watching. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine Jean-Marc MILLOT (Nuits-Saint-Georges) -- 2015 Tasted from Bottle

(Originally published 27 July 2018.)

This is a very good collection, worth seriously considering should you come across the wines. (Continue reading here.)

Wines from Provence -- Peyrassol, Pradeaux/Portalis, Saint-André de Figuière/Figuière, Saint-Andrieu

(Originally published 30 July 2018.)

All wines below are red, except as otherwise noted.

(Continue reading here.)

Domaine Gérard JULIEN & Fils (Comblanchien) -- 2015 Tasted from Bottle

(Originally published 31 July 2018.)

I have no previous experience with this estate, although I have seen the wines in some Paris stores that generally have very good Burgundy selections.

My understanding is that this estate comprises 10 hectares, mostly in Nuits and Côtes de Nuits-Villages, cared for in lutte raisonnée (i.e., organic except as a last resort). Son Étienne has recently taken control and is perceived as upgrading the quality. The cellars are located in Comblanchien.

My response on tasting through this set of wines is that they were good, not great, and this is an estate I would want to see more of. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine Albert GRIVAULT (Meursault) -- Two 2016 Whites and a 2015 Red from Bottle

(Originally published 2 August 2018.)

This estate, dating to 1879, has been up and down over the years. It is best known for its monopole Meursault-Clos des Perrières, often considered the best part of the Perrières vineyard. 

On this showing, the estate is producing wines worthy of attention. (Continue reading here.)

Pierre-Yves COLIN-MOREY (Chassagne-Montrachet) -- 2015 Tasted from Bottle

(Originally published 3 August 2018.)

To my taste, Colin-Morey’s wines are good, but for some years have not been as ravishing as they once were. I was a bit hesitant to make that statement, but then I checked with some friends involved in importing and selling the wines around the world, but they were in complete agreement with me.

The wines below are all white. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine Pierre GUILLEMOT (Savigny-les-Beaune) -- 2016 Tasted from Bottle

The damage from the frost in 2016 was catastrophic in Savigny-les-Beaune. Recognizing how little wine was produced in 2016, the following autumn I skipped my usual tastings at producers from that village. However, when I visited in 2018, after we tasted the 2017s, Vincent Guillemot was kind enough to offer to open some 2016s for me. 

No new oak was used in the vintage, only one-year and two-year old barrels. The wines will be sold only in export markets. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine Pierre GUILLEMOT (Savigny-les-Beaune) -- 2017 Tasted from Barrel, Tank, and Bottle

Vincent Guillemot said that harvesting began on 2 September, first with the reds, then finishing with the white. The red Bourgogne was the last of the reds to be harvested because of the large yield that delayed maturation. 

Malo-lactic fermentations were quick, finishing in December. The Corton and the Savigny-Serpentières were made with 50% whole clusters, the rest of the reds with 10% whole clusters. 

In general, these look to be very attractive wines that should drink well young. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine des Comtes LAFON (Meursault) -- 2015 Tasted from Bottle

(Originally published 5 August 2018.)

My reports on vintage conditions and tasting of these and the other Lafon wines of 2015 from barrel are here and here.  (Continue reading here.)

Domaine des Comtes LAFON (Meursault) 2015 from Tank and Barrel -- Part II: Whites

(Originally published 13 April 2017.)

Dominique Lafon began harvesting the whites on 27 August. As you can see below, malolactic fermentations were quite slow for some wines, and some placed in stainless steel to finish their malos before being returned to barrel.

These are some of the best 2015 whites that I have encountered. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine des Comtes LAFON (Meursault) 2015 from Barrel Part I: Red Wines

(Originally published in 13 April 2017.)

Dominique Lafon said that for the reds, he began harvesting with the Clos des Chênes on 31 August; the Monthélie was harvested on 5 September. The grapes were almost all destemmed (exception for the Clos des Chênes). Malolactic fermentations finished in February. Dominique expected to bottle the Monthélie in March or April, the others a little later. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine FOLLIN-ARBELET (Aloxe-Corton) -- 2016s Tasted from Bottle

The production was tiny, but as these two wines show, the quality was superb. 

My review of the Follin-Arbelet 2016s from barrel and tank is here.

(Continue reading here.)

Domaine FOLLIN-ARBELET (Aloxe-Corton) -- 2016s Tasted from Barrel and a Pair of 2015s from Bottle

(Originally published 1 March 2018.)

Franck Follin-Arbelet said that losses from the frost meant that he did only about 30-35% of a full harvest. The harvesting began on 22 September. There was no red Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru in 2016, and the Aloxe-Corton and  Aloxe-Vercots also suffered badly. However,  following on the frost, there were no problems with mildew, and as a result, there was no need to do a triage. Whole clusters were used in about 10-20%, he said, but more for volume than anything else. 

Malolactic fermentations were late, many finishing in spring, but others dragged on until September.

As usual, there is very good quality here, and the best values probably come from the premier cru wines. The wines show the freshness of the vintage, a contrast to the 2015s where it is the power and ripeness that dominate. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine FOLLIN-ARBELET (Aloxe-Corton) -- 2015 Tasted from Barrel and Tank and a Pair of 2014s from Bottle

(Originally published 3 June 2017.)

Franck Follin-Arbelet said that he began harvesting on 2 September. As with the great majority of producers, he have very small yields. He included about 15-20% whole clusters overall and did very little punching down (pigeage). Malolactic fermentations were rather late here.

The wines at this estate are not flashy and not necessarily easy to understand young, but they are well worth your investigating and the wait for maturation. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine FOLLIN-ARBELET (Aloxe-Corton) -- 2014 Tasted from Barrel

(Originally published 31 January 2016.)

Franck Follin-Arbelet said that he began harvest on 12 September. The vines were badly hit by the hail, but aside from that, there was no botrytis even though there was plenty of rain over the summer. He did have to do a trie to sort out grapes damaged by the hail, by sunburn, and by acetic rot from the Asian fruit fly (one parcel in Aloxe-Corton).  Overall, yields are down about 20-25% from the maximums (in 2015 it is down 40-50%). Grapes were entirely destemmed in 2014. Malolactic fermentations were heterogenous, although most finished in July, August, and September.

Follin-Arbelet’s wines are excellent for their purity and freshness, but in general, they do need aging to show their best — they reward the effort. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine FOLLIN-ARBELET (Aloxe-Corton) -- 2017 Tasted from Barrel and Tank Samples

Franck Follin-Arbelet said that he began harvesting on either 3 or 4 September with the whites. He did not do a green harvest over the summer. The whites came in "not that high" in volume, the reds were roughly at maximum allowable yields. Alcohols ranged from 12 to 13.5º natural and there was very little chaptalization.

Two cuvées finished malo-lactic fermentation in December, the rest in June, July, and even August. He expects to bottle the wines in spring 2019. (Continue reading here.)

Louis JADOT (Beaune) -- 2015 Tasted from Bottle

(Originally published 8 August 2018.)

My reviews of 2015 Jadot wines tasted from barrel are here, here, here, and here.

(Continue reading here.)

Louis JADOT (Beaune) 2015 Tasted from Barrel Part I: Côte de Beaune Reds

(Originally published 15 February 2017.)

For an operation with as many different wines as Jadot has, the quality is really quite amazing. Harvesting started on 29 August, with the whites, I suppose. There was very little triage required. Alcohols began quickly. Malolactic fermentations mostly finished in spring, some in July.

Very successful wines here that are certainly worthy of your interest. (Continue reading here.)

Louis JADOT (Beaune) 2015 from Barrel Part II -- Regional and Côte de Nuits Village and Premier Cru Reds

(Originally published 12 February 2017.)

Here is the second part of Jadot’s very strong line up of 2015 reds. Particularly notable is that the wines show terroir well, not something that can be said for all wines in 2015. (Continue reading here.)

Louis JADOT (Beaune) 2015 from Barrel Part III -- Côte de Nuits Grands Crus

(Originally published 13 February 2017.)

Jadot’s grands crus that I tasted are successful across the board, and some belong in the very elite category of top wines of the vintage. (Continue reading here.)

Louis JADOT (Beaune) -- 2015 Tasted from Barrel Part IV -- Whites

(Originally published 17 February 2017.)

As it sometimes does, Jadot partially blocked malolactic acidity in its 2015 whites.

With respect to the sucrosity that I note in many of the wines below, it is not like the sucrosity of 2003s where the wines often tasted sweet. Here it is a certain richness of texture, and based on my past experience, it will disappear with aging.

In news, Jadot has bought an estate that includes Meursault Narvaux, Charmes, and Perrières among its holdings.

Overall, the collection is not as outstanding as the 2015 reds, but there is good quality here, more than one originally expected from the 2015 white vintage. As with reds, the best values appear to be in lower appellations and premiers crus. Aging potential appears moderate for the most part. (Continue reading here.)

Recently Tasted Jura Wines from 2014, 2016, 2017: Aigle à Deux Têtes/Leroy, Baud, Champs Divin/Closset, Laborde/Granges Paquenesses, Pignier, Quillot

The region was hit very, very hard by the frosts of 2017. Be sure to buy sufficient stocks of what's around to carry you through a few years if you are a fan of these wines. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine Jean-CHAUVENET (Nuits-Saint-Georges) -- 2016 Tasted from Bottle

My review of all of Chauvenet's wines from barrel is here. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine Jean CHAUVENET (Nuits-Saint-Georges) -- 2016 Tasted from Barrel

(Originally published 9 December 2017.)

Christophe Drag said that production was down about 35% from a normal vintage. 

Harvesting began on 1 October — late for producers I visited — and finished just before the rains. All grapes were destemmed and no triage was necessary. There was no chaptalization, with the grapes coming in at 13-13.5º natural alcohols. Malolactic fermentations were earlier than usual, finishing by the end of June. Bottling may be as early as February, depending on how the wines continue to develop.  

With the late harvesting, some of these wines may be closer to 2015 in style than most of the other 2016s I tasted.

There is interesting value here, especially for the Bourgogne and village wines. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine Jean CHAUVENET (Nuits-Saint-Georges) -- 2017 Tasted from Barrel

Christophe Drag, like most producers, characterized the vintage as relatively easy to do. Even for the nights at the end of April where there was the risk of freeze and so vignerons took up places in the vineyards to light fires to stave off the frost, he didn’t have to light a fire because the humidity in his position was sufficient to prevent freezing.

He began harvesting on 8 September. There was very little chaptalization here — only for the wines that would be sold off. As usual, all grapes were destemmed. Malo-lactic fermentations were very slow, and indeed a few barrels were still continuing when I visited on 29 October. This is the largest harvest at Chauvenet since 2009.(Continue reading here.)

Domaine des LAMBRAYS (Morey-Saint-Denis) -- 2017 Tasted from Bottle, Barrel, and Tank Sample

Technical Director Boris Champy said that he believes Lambrays is already one of the top fifteen domaines in Burgundy, and his goal is to make it one of the top three. It’s a daunting challenge; I think Domaine de la Romanée-Conti would make almost all lists of the top three from informed judges, but there would be quite a bit of diversity with respect to the remaining two. That makes it difficult when you aren’t even sure whom you are chasing.

Harvesting in 2017 took place on 31 August for the Puligny-Folatières, 2 September for the Puligny-Clos du Cailleret, and it began on 3 September for the Clos des Lambrays. The harvest finished on 12 September with the village Morey. At the village level, the yield was 29 hl/ha, for the Clos des Lambrays, it was 37 hl/ha. Malo-lactic fermentations were quick, finishing by 1 December.

We start this time with the whites. Boris said that his goal is zero rate of premature oxidation, and the estate is taking various measures to control the oxygen in order to achieve that goal. For one, there have been some barrel changes, and for another the necks of the bottles have been reduced to 17 mm in diameter (18.5 or 19 is standard), the same as it was 100 years ago. (Continue reading here.)