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.)