White Wine
2017 Beaune 1er
cru Les Reversées
Attractive pale lemon, there is very little nose at the
moment. Quite good weight of lemon
scented fruit on the palate, finer acidity, tense but though I am not much of a
fan of most white Beaunes, this is really quite good. 90
points
2017
Pernand-Verglesses 1er cru Sous Frétille
Attractive mid yellow, with a lively engaging nose. There is a lovely elegance to this but with
an electric chiseled thread cutting through some yellow notes to the fruit, a
combination which adds character. 91 points
Corton Charlemagne
Grand Cru
6 barrels made, coming
from a third of a hectare in En Charlemagne.
One third new wood has been used. Pale lemon colour. Quite discreet fruit but attractive even so,
with good weight, opening out nicely on the palate. This is a stylish, refined wine with good
length and the requisite stony character, albeit with a graceful feel to the
texture. 94 points
Red Wine
2017 Beaune 1er
cru Les Teurons
It is relatively
light in colour, with a very pretty perfumed nose, making for a graceful and
stylish Beaune. There are very old vines
here, but they gave a good yield in 2017.
Nonetheless there is no sense of dilution: this is gorgeous, full and long. 91
points
2017 Beaune 1er
cru Champs Pimont
Champs Pimont is
the domaine's biggest plot. Contrary to
Les Teurons, this underwent a late malolactic fermentation and has not yet been
racked, so is currently much darker in colour, and indeed the whole fruit
profile is darker. It offers a rich full
mouth full and should gain further in nobility with extra barrel
maturation. 87 - 90 points
2017 Volnay 1er
cru En Carelle
The fruit has been
entirely destemmed. The 2017 has an
attractive light purple colour, yet there is significantly more density of
fruit than expected on the palate. This
is really very good and will be a joy quite early. Just a few tannins in the back, a good thing
for the wine's structure. 90 - 93 points
2017 Volnay 1er
cru Clos de la Chapelle monopole
This was picked on the same day as the En
Carelle with the same vinification. The
final yield amounted to 38 hl/ha in a big year thanks to the fine quality of
the pinot plants. The wine has no great
depth of colour. This is stricter and
less immediately appealing than En Carelle but with more backbone for the
longer term. The aromatics are delicious
and the perfumed red fruit returns at the back.
Good density for the vintage. 90 - 94 points
2017 Volnay 1er
cru Taillepieds
Part of the vineyard
has been pulled up for replanting, the rest is old vines. The colour is bright and fresh purple, after
a late malolactic, and there is an attractive Volnay perfume. There is a sweetness to the ripe, dark
cherry fruit, and an unexpected density at the back. Not quite in harmony yet, with a few tannins
waiting to be integrated. But this
should be an excellent, concentrated wine.
90 - 93 points
2017 Pommard 1er
cru Les Chanlins vieilles vignes
From
90 year old vines in the upper part of Chanlins-bas, which gave a very good
crop in 2017, despite their age. Pretty,
mid-purple colour with a lighter rim. A
very pretty nose, not too Pommard.
Significant fruit through the middle while the whole bunch component
shows really prettily at the back. Very
fine balance here for a Volnay style of Pommard. Good length, dancing lightly on its feet but
with fine persistence. 90 - 93 points
2017 Pommard 1er
cru Grands Epenots
4 barrels made,
of which one new. Rich dense bright
colour, glowing indeed. Oak is certainly
present but there is a weight of fruit alongside as the vines are getting older. Some wood tannin and Pommard tannins perhaps
a little too present. Extra barrel
ageing may sort this out. There is some
acidity to balance the tannins, though. 89 - 92 points
2017 Corton
Bressandes Grand Cru
Their plot has very little soil next to a
small quarry, so yields are low. Bright
translucent purple, the fruit full of energy, with 25% whole bunch
vinification. The bouquet starts
perfumed and joyous, then develops a much more serious second half, with firmer
tannins but they are swathed in fruit. Good intensity with a fruit that needs
to maintain its freshness. 91 - 94 points
