Louis JADOT (Beaune) -- 2018 Part III: Côte de Nuits Reds from Barrel Samples

(Please see my overall vintage review here.)

Like the Côte de Beaune reds, this selection from the Côte de Nuits is most successful.

All wines from Domaine Louis Jadot, Domaine Gagey, or Domaine des Héritiers Jadot, as indicated, are estate wines; other wines are negociant wines. (Continue reading here.)

Louis JADOT (Beaune) -- 2018 Part II: Côte de Beaune Reds Tasted from Barrel Samples

(Please see my overall vintage review here.)

This selection of Côte de Beaune reds is most successful, even more so considering the trickiness of the vintage for a large producer such as Jadot because of the ultra-rapid but uneven ripening.

Wines not indicated as from Domaine Louis Jadot, Domaine Gagey, or Domaine des Héritiers Jadot, are negociant wines. (Continue reading here.)

Louis JADOT (Beaune) -- 2018 Part I: White Wines Tasted from Barrel and Tank Samples

(Please see my overall vintage review here.)

Jadot not infrequently blocks malo-lactic fermentations for white wines, and in 2018 blocked them for for 70% of the whites. Alcohols are in the range of 13-13.5º. 

Wines not indicated as from Domaine Louis Jadot, Domaine Gagey, Domaine des Héritiers Jadot, Domaine Duc de Magenta, or Domaine Prieur-Brunet are negociant wines. (Continue reading here.)

Reichsgraf von KESSELSTATT (Mosel) -- 2018 and 2017

Harvesting took from 19 September to 23 October and gave a generous overall yield of 63 hl/ha. The soft acidity is a problem everywhere in Germany in 2018, and Kesselstatt was no exception, although some wines dealt with it better than others. (Continue reading here.)

Pierre GUILLEMOT (Savigny-les-Beaune) -- 2018 Tasted from Tank and Bottle

(Please see my overview of the 2018 vintage here.)

Vincent Guillemot characterized the yields here as normal. Harvesting began on 1 September. Alcohols were about 13º. Malo-lactic fermentations were rapid, finishing in about a month. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine des LAMBRAYS (Morey-Saint-Denis) -- 2018s Tasted from Barrel and Tank and 2017 Tasted from Bottle

(Please see my overall account of the 2018 vintage here.)

2018 was an unusual transition year for Lambrays. 

Thierry Brouin retired as technical directer and his appointed successor, Boris Champy, completed his first solo vintage of the wines in 2018. Soon thereafter, Boris left under circumstances that I still do not understand. 

On March 1, 2019, Jacques Devagues, previously technical director Clos de Tart and prior to that at Domaine de l’Arlot, became Champy’s replacement. 

It was with Jacques that I tasted the wines below; 2019 is the first vintage that is his full responsibility. In 2019, the estate became organic, and in 2020 it will begin the process of conversion to biodynamic production. There is also an increasing emphasis on vinification by individual parcels.

Back to 2018, harvesting began on 25 August with the reds and finished on 3 September. The whites were harvested on 27 August. Yields were a little below 40 hl/ha. There are no whole clusters in the village Morey, 50% in the Morey 1er Cru, and 80% in the Clos des Lambrays. 

Malo-lactic fermentations were rapid. Alcohols are modest for the vintage: 13.6% for the Clos des Lambrays, 13.4% for the Morey 1er Cru, 13.6% for the village Morey, and 13.4% for the whites. (Continue reading here.)

Chantal RÉMY and Héritières Louis RÉMY (Morey-Saint-Denis) -- 2018 Tasted from Barrel

(Please read my vintage overview here.)

Florian Rémy said that he began harvesting on 6 September.

We begin with three negociant wines under the Héritières Louis Rémy label. (Continue reading here.)

Domdecant WERNER (Rheingau) -- 2018 and 2017

The area along the Main River just before it flows in the Rhein is less dramatic visually and overall doesn’t receive as much attention as some of the other Rheingau estates, but there is a long history of quality, and currently there are some top producers working here, one of which has long been Domdechant Werner. (Continue reading here.)

Jean-Jacques CONFURON (Premeaux) -- 2017 Tasted from Bottle

My notes from tasting these wines from barrel the previous year are here.

These wines across the board are a fine demonstration of the excellent quality that the 2017 vintage can deliver. (Continue reading here.)

Jean-Jacques CONFURON (Premeaux) -- 2018 Tasted from Barrel

(Please read my overview of the 2018 vintage here.)

Harvesting began on 3 September. Except from Premeaux (Bourgogne and Côtes de Nuits-Villages), where there was hail, the quantities were very large, resulting in 42-43 hl/ha overall. 

Malolactic fermentations were irregular in the sense that some were early, and others later. By March, all had finished except for the Nuits, Fleurières vineyard.

Many of the wines were made with whole clusters, as indicated below.

With respect to new oak, the Bourgogne, Côte de Nuits-Villages, and village wines have about 20% new oak, the premiers crus about 33% new oak, and the grands crus about 50%. This is in keeping with the long-term trend here in the direction of wines of more elegance and less new oak than was the case in the 1990s. Alain and Sophie Meunier’s son Louis has now taken over the fermentations and  has made changes continuing in that sense — less cold maceration, less punching down, but longer macerations, and less new oak.

The highest alcohols here are 13.8º (Nuits-Boudots and Côte de Nuits-Villages). (Continue reading here.)

Sélection LABRUYÈRE-PRIEUR (Meursault) -- Red and White Wines Tasted from Barrel Samples

(Please see my overall vintage summary here.)

This label is being used now for wines from vineyards that Domaine Jacques Prieur exploits but does not own.

Starting with the reds: (Continue reading here.)

Jacques PRIEUR (Meursault) -- 2018 Part II: Whites Tasted from Barrel and Tank Samples

(Please see here for an overview of conditions in 2018 and here  for an overview of the harvest at Prieur.)

The grand cru whites had yields of about 40 hl/ha, the premiers crus about 45 to 50 hl/ha. There was some stirring of the lies (bâtonnage), the first time in some years at this estate; additionally, the whites could not be racked for a while, which led to their further being nourished.

Especially for the top wines, these are outstanding successes. (Continue reading here.)