(Originally published 14 January 2017.)
Malolactic fermentations were very late for the 2015s at de Montille. Quality here is outstanding across the board.
Malolactic fermentations were very late for the 2015s at de Montille. Quality here is outstanding across the board.
2015 Beaune 1er Cru Les Sizies
Beaune-Sizies is not one of the high-profile Beaune vineyards, but this wine comes through quite fine, thank you. It shows purity to its red fruits and is very mineral, nervy, and energetic. 1/3 whole clusters in this wine, 15% new oak. (90-93)
2015 Beaune 1er Cru Grèves
As good as the Sizies was, the Grèves is a clear step up. The wine is medium-weight and energetic with red fruits, good structure, energy, freshness, and tension. 100% whole clusters. (92-95)
2015 Volnay 1er Cru Les Champans
The Champans is energetic and pure with dark berry fruit, penetration, drive, and harmony. 100% whole clusters. This is about as good as Champans can get. (92-96)
2015 Volnay 1er Cru Les Taillepieds
Similarly, it’s impossible to imagine Taillepieds being much better than this. The wine is intense, stony, and pure with red and dark berry fruit, great density, and outstanding freshness. 30% new oak here, 100% whole clusters. (93-97)
2015 Pommard 1er Cru Les Pézerolles
The Pézerolles is crisp with good body and Pézerolles tenderness in its Pommard strucuture. The fruits are red, dense, and intense. 50% whole clusters here. (92-95)
2015 Pommmard 1er Cru Rugiens du Bas
The Rugiens shows typical iron in both nose and mouth. The wine is elegant for Rugiens but with good firmness and less nervosity than the preceding wines. Still, there is excellent penetration and tension here. 100% whole clusters, 40-50% new oak, which is more than for the preceding wines. Average vine age here is about 35 years. (93-96)
2015 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Aux Thorey
The Thorey is round with red fruits and has great energy and freshness. This wine is made with 100% whole clusters and half raised in new oak. (91-95)
2015 Corton Clos-du-Roi
De Montille’s Corton Clos-du-Roi displays the minerality and roundness from that terroir and has red fruit with excellent drive. (93-96)
2015 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts
As I’ve noted in previous posts, Malconsorts is one of the standout appellations of the 2015 vintage. This wine comes from 18 rows that are on limestone soils, picked on 6 September. It shows dark fruit, licorice, nervosity, intensity, depth, and drive. It is nothing short of an exciting wine. (93-97)
2015 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts Cuvée Christiane
As great as the regular Malconsorts is, the cuvée Christiane, coming from vines that are enclave into la Tâche (which bounds these vines to the west and north; the southern border is a road and then the premier cru Les Chaumes). The limestone here is deeper than for the other Malconsorts. The nose is fabulous with the slight smokiness that characterizes great Malconsorts. The wine is rounder than the regular Malconsorts with good energy and more complexity with orange blossom and spices to go with the fruit. The wine is intense and deep, totally great. (95-99)
As great as the regular Malconsorts is, the cuvée Christiane, coming from vines that are enclave into la Tâche (which bounds these vines to the west and north; the southern border is a road and then the premier cru Les Chaumes). The limestone here is deeper than for the other Malconsorts. The nose is fabulous with the slight smokiness that characterizes great Malconsorts. The wine is rounder than the regular Malconsorts with good energy and more complexity with orange blossom and spices to go with the fruit. The wine is intense and deep, totally great. (95-99)