Domaines PERROT-MINOT and Christophe PERROT MINOT (Morey-Saint-Denis) -- 2018 Grands Crus Tasted from Cask Samples

An interesting comparison of various adjacent grands crus.

(Continue reading here.)

Domaine David DUBAND/François FEUILLET (Chevannes) -- 2018 Tasted from Cask Samples

(Please see my overview of the 2018 vintage in the Côte d’Or here.)

David Duband said that harvesting began on 3 September. The first grapes to come in were at 12.5-13º potential alcohol, and after nine days, the grapes being harvested were still in the mid-13’s. Yields were good, comparable to 2017: 35 hl/ha for the grands crus, 45-48 hl/ha for the premiers crus, and 50 hl/ha for the village wines. Whole clusters were 60% for the Hautes Côtes and village wines, 75% for the premier cru wines, and 90% for the grands crus. Vinification was standard; no modifications of punching down (pigeage) or other aspects. Malolactic fermentations went very fast.

(Wines bottled under the Feuillet label are identical to those bottled under the Duband label.)

(Continue reading here.)

Domaine Denis MORTET (Gevrey-Chambertin) -- 2018 Tasted from Barrel

(Please see my overview of the 2018 vintage in the Côte d’ Or here.)

Arnaud Mortet said that he began harvesting on 3 September and it went very fast. Alcohols did not exceed 13.6-13.7º. He performed a big green harvest, the largest since 1999, and would up with 45 hl/ha for the village wines, 40-45 hl/ha for the premier and grand cru wines. Whole clusters in some wines, not in others this vintage. Some wines finished malolactic fermentation in January and February, others were later at the usual time. Arnaud has shortened vinifications compared to the past.

The three relatively new grands crus, Echézeaux, Mazis-Chambertin, and Bonnes Mares, are included.

(Continue reading here.)

Domaine ROSSIGNOL-TRAPET (Gevrey-Chambertin) -- 2018 Tasted from Barrel

(Please see my overview of the 2018 vintage in the Côte d’ Or here.)

Harvesting began on 4 September and lasted eight days. The wines are about half whole clusters. Very little triage was necessary. Quantities are good, similar to 2009. No pigeage (punching down) here, only remontage (pumping over) and a little délestage (rack and return).  Alcohols range from 13º to 13.5º. Malo-lactic fermentations went very quickly.

These are good wines for the vintage, but as noted below, some lack tension compared to more classic vintages.

(Continue reading here.)

Domaine TRAPET Père & Fils (Gevrey-Chambertin) -- 2018 Tasted from Barrel and Bottle

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

Jean-Louis Trapet said that harvesting began on Thursday, 6 September. There was heavy use of whole clusters in this vintage, ranging from about 40-50% all the way up to 100%. Malolactic fermentations took place over the winter.

Most of these wines bear a strong signature of the vintage, lacking in many cases the tension and nervosity that appear in most vintages, yet they are successful nonetheless. (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.)

Jacques PRIEUR (Meursault) -- 2018 Part I: Reds Tasted from Barrel Samples

(Please see my overview of the vintage here.)

Harvesting began on 29 August, the same date as in 2017.

Yields are about 35hl/ha for the red grands crus, 35-42 hl/ha for the 1er crus. There was very little sorting out of grapes. Skins were thick, there were good quantities of juice. Alcohols are in the range of 13.5º-14.5º. There was no acidification. 25-30% new wood for village premier cru reds, no more than 60% for grands crus.

Malo-lactic fermentations finished in spring, April-June/July, which is normal timing here.

All wines were still in barrel and had not been racked when I tasted.

This is a very successful set of wines, especially the Côte de Nuits grands crus. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine Armand ROUSSEAU Père & Fils (Gevrey-Chambertin) -- 2018 Tasted from Barrel

(Please see my overview of the vintage here.)

Is there ever a vintage where Rousseau doesn’t get it right? Not that I can recall, and I’ve been visiting at this estate annually for nearly three decades. Ho-hum, another year of great wines for those lucky enough to obtain bottles. 

Harvesting began on 1 September. Malo-lactic fermentations finished in February, and alcohols are in the normal range. (Continue reading here.)

Jean-Marie FOURRIER (Gevrey-Chambertin) -- 2016 Part I: Négociant Wines Tasted from Tank and Barrel Samples

(Originally published November 2017)

These are the negociant wines that Jean-Marie Fourrier has been making for the last several years. The wines are from purchased fruit, and Fourrier sometimes does the harvesting (as opposed to receiving fruit already harvested by the owner). 

With the exception of the Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Aux Échanges, all the grapes were destemmed. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine Armand ROUSSEAU Père & Fils (Gevrey-Chambertin) -- 2016 Tasted from Barrel

(Originally published December 2017)

Harvesting began on 23 September. A little triage was necessary and all the wines were chaptalized a slight bit, allowing an extension of fermentation. 

The freeze caused at 60% loss for the Chambertin and 30% loss for the Clos Saint-Jacques, but otherwise the vineyards weren’t hit. Malolactic fermentations finished in spring and the wines were racked in June and early July. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine ROSSIGNOL-TRAPET (Gevrey-Chambertin) -- 2016 Tasted from Barrel

(Originally published December 2017)

Losses here were heavy in parts of Gevrey-Chambertin, not to mention the Côte de Beaune holdings. Losses were not only due to the frost, but also the following mildew, which seems to have posed a special challenge to many biodynamic estates such as this one in 2016.

At harvest, there was a little triage, but most of the grapes were healthy. There was just a little chaptalization — to extend fermentation time. As in 2015 and 2017, here was no pigeage (punching down). About 25-30% whole clusters were included in the wines. Malolactic fermentations here were very early, finished by Christmas 2016. Overall, the wines seemed lighter in extraction and more elegant than in some other vintages here presumably a result of the lack of pigeage.

The lesser appellations should be bottled around Christmas this year; for the remainder, bottling should take place from February through the end of May 2018. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine TRAPET (Gevrey-Chambertin) -- 2016 Tasted from Barrel

(Originally published December 2017)

Jean-Louis Trapet said that the frost affected the wines in Chambertin and Marsannay, but not really the other appellations. With the rain at the beginning of the season, the vineyards had to be worked manually. Additionally, there was mildew that weakened the vines. As a result, the first half of the season was quite difficult. However, with the favorable second half of the year, things went differently, and once again this estate has come up with some of the most brilliant wines in Burgundy.

Harvesting began around 27-28 September, and a significant triage of the grapes was necessary. Fermentations included some whole clusters, and there was very little chaptalization — only enough to prolong fermentations. Malolactic fermentations were late here, as is usually the case. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine DUJAC (Morey-St-Denis) -- 2016 Part III: Grands Crus Tasted from Barrel

(Originally published January 2018)

I’ve mentioned previously that in 2015, one sees the vintage’s strength in the quality of the lesser appellations; the wines from the grands crus can be truly outstanding, but with a small number of exceptions, the grands crus hit ceilings that are below their maximum potential. In 2016, although there are very good wines from top producers from lesser appellations, it is with the top appellations that one sees the vintage at its most impressive. And that is certainly the case with Dujac, where the vintage has been most successful. These wines are all in the top group for their respective appellations, and the more one continues through the list, the greater the wines get and the fewer the challengers for top wine of the appellation. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine Jacques PRIEUR (Meursault) -- 2016 Part II: Red Grands Crus Tasted from Barrel Samples

(Originally published February 2018)

Prieur’s grand cru holdings are among the most enviable in the Côte d’Or. Not just these reds, but also Montrachet, Chevalier-Montrachet, and Corton-Charlemagne (as well as Meursault-Perrières and Puligny-Combettes) in white, which I’ll review in my next post. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine David DUBAND/François FEUILLET (Chavigny) 2016 Part II -- Grands Crus Tasted from Barrel

(Originally published 21 February 2018)

Background information on the vintage at Duband is located here.

As I mentioned in the previous post, these wines may be sold under either the David Duband or the François Feuillet label. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine Denis MORTET/Arnaud MORTET (Gevrey-Chambertin) -- 2016 Tasted from Barrel Part II: Grand Crus

(Originally published 1 April 2016)

There has been an amazing expansion of grand cru offerings here — no longer just the Chambertin and the Clos de Vougeot, there are now at least seen different wines (although the Echézeaux won’t be commercialized in 2016 because production was so low; it is from the same parcel that Christophe Roumier now is making wine from). (Continue reading here.)

Domaine Denis MORTET/Arnaud MORTET (Gevrey-Chambertin) -- 2015s Tasted from Bottle

(Originally posted 1 April 2018)

These and other 2015s from Mortet are reviewed from cask here. The quality of the wines is uniformly excellent. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine Denis MORTET/Arnaud MORTET (Gevrey-Chambertin): 2015 Tasted from Barrel

(Originally published 25 May 2017)

Arnaud Mortet said that he began harvesting on 3 September. He was one of the lucky ones, with overall yield of about 40 hl/ha. (2016 will be much lower because Mortet has significant holdings in areas that were hit by the 27 April 2016.) Arnaud said that he had no problem with the drought over the summer, a prime cause of low yields at other estates, because he works the soil very deep, encouraging the wines to go down, and then stopped working the soil early. Maturities were the highest ever for the estate with potential alcohols in the range of 12.5-13.6/7º. He used a fair amount of whole clusters in the vinification. Malolactic fermentations finished between March and June, which is not late for this estate.

The trend here to less use of whole clusters and less new oak continues, adding freshness and elegance to the wines.

Mortet fans will be happy that the number of offerings has increased in significant ways with new premiers and grands crus in recent years, but those mindful of price will still find good village wines at lower prices.

I found these wines less easy to judge than usual, and it is possible that they are underrated here. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine Jacques PRIEUR (Meursault) -- 2017 Part I: Reds Tasted from Barrel Samples

Harvesting began, I was told, on 19 August and was finished in eight days. This is radically early compared to what I heard elsewhere, but when I questioned it, the date was confirmed. Take it with a grain of salt, but the wines are quite good. 

Yields were characterized as "generous." Malo-lactic fermentations were  “classic" — beginning in spring, the last ones finishing in July. 

Alcohols are 12.5-13%, and there was no chaptalization.

These are not in the relaxed style of most wines I’ve tasted from the vintage — there’s more freshness and energy here, so maybe there is something to the radically-early harvest date: the wines taste as though they are from a much cooler, more classic vintage. Nevertheless, there was no immaturity of tannins.

 In 2018 Prieur recovered vines that had been leased out in Santenay, Chassagne, and Pommard, and those wines will be added to the already spectacular collection of vineyards here. (Continue reading here.)

Domaine ROSSIGNOL-TRAPET (Gevrey-Chabertin) -- 2017 Tasted from Barrel

Harvesting generally began on 7 September (the Combottes, always early to ripen here, came in on 5 September). Yields were “generous” — comparable to those of 2009. There was some green harvesting over the summer. 

With very little malic acidity — characteristic for the vintage — malos went very quickly. The village Gevrey, the premier cru Gevreys, and the grands crus have about 60% whole cluster fruit. There was very little chaptalization in this vintage.  (Continue reading here.)