Natural Burgundy

Bathonian limestone from the middle Jurassic era as found through the Cote D'Or with a flat piece of stone calcite aragonite. Small berries of Gamay quite old vines on Cordon de Royat training system. Fermentation in conical wooden vats after 11months on lees without racking. Bottled using nitrogen without sulfur dioxide. Looks more Cote de Nuits than Beaujolais, red fruits sour and fresh, minerals elements with powerful energy and kaleidoscopic complexity...
Today the Clos des Vignes du Mayne is managed by Julien Guillot. This Clos was registered by the monks in 910. Peter- Julien’s grandfather purchased the vineyard in 1954 and is thought to be a pioneer in the field of additive-free natural wines. The 7-hectare Clos set in beautiful surroundings-comprises 3 parcels planted with 3 indigenous grape varieties: Pinot Noir, Gamay, and Chardonnay. In 1998, Julien Guillot took over this huge heritage with passion, a great deal of conviction and precision. He carried on the old traditions but also introduced biodynamic methods.
Small organic-biodynamic Domaine in the Hautes Cotes de Beaune, Burgundy.
Pinot Noir from 50 to 25 yr old, horse-plowed vines planted in south-facing clay, fossilized sea shell, multi-colored marble, sandstone, and limestone pebble soils. Farmed, harvested, and bottled by Morgane and Christian in Meloisey, the heart of “Hautes Côtes” Burgundy. Natural from vineyard to bottle. Whole cluster, natural yeast ferment, neutral wood, wooden basket press, and no sulfur added.
This is a project of a couple. Christian Knott, an Aussie from Bondi, Sydney, living in Burgundy since 2009. He’s the winemaker at Chandon de Briailles in Savigny. Morgane Seuillot, a native Burgundian. Her father trains the horses that plow vineyards up and down Burgundy.
2016 does have a green character with lots of blue fruit along salinity and savory notes. Nice mouthfeel with elegance and rustic notes a good terroir is driven through palate and nose.
 Jean-Cluade Rateau is one of the first vignerons in France to convert to biodynamics, beginning with two hectares in 1979, working along with Claude Bourguignon to analyze his soils. Rateau has always believed that the soils must be alive to ensure the healthy transfer of nutrients to the vines, especially important being the mycorrhizal fungi which assimilate phosphorous and micro-nutrients and live in symbiosis with the vines roots. He uses natural composts and biodynamic preparations and has a varied population of wild plants in the vineyards to feeds the insects. Aging is only in used barrels, three to ten years old, and minimal SO2 is used. Living in the village of Beaune and one of his best vineyards is the 1er Cru Les Reversees recently with the Australia importer Charlie from Virtuos vine (IG @virtuousvineaustralia) I tasted several Cuvee from 2017 and one 2014 Les Reversees which was superbly good. The palate is racy, brisk, and earthy with the tension between red fruit and a fine cool minerality,  with some earthy element mushroom and dry autumn leaves, a long finish and kaleidoscopic complexity.
In the tasting we also try the Vin Orange from 2015 in the Hautes Cotes de Beaune a Chardonnay left on the skin so orange in color with orange peel and preserved apple notes with nice phenolic bitterness in harmony with the fresh acidity.
The two whites from 2017 a Beaune Clos de Mariages a walled vineyard close to the town of Beaune and a 1er Cru Les Coucherias were racy and very mineral showing aromas of stone, citrus, anise, and pear liqueur. The palate is bone-dry with stone and citrus flavors, white fruits and herbal notes. I think needs some time to show their potential but they are in very good shape to be just released.

 Nicolas Vauthier, called Kikro makes wines of Northern Burgundy in several appellation Chitry, Irancy, and Epineuil, working with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Aligoté. Before he starts making his own wine,  did a few stints in conventional wineries in France and Washington state but then after working with Philippe Pacalet he starts his own negociant in 2009 with the same approach Pacalet does.  Also before he started making his wine adventure Mr. Vauthier was famous to be the one to open one of the first natural wine bars Aux Crieurs de Vins in the town of Troyes in Champagne.


The reds are made entirely with whole bunches and carbonic maceration followed by brief elevage times for softening in barrique.
The vines of Bourgogne Coulanges-La-Vineuse are located in the northern part of Bourgogne, a few kilometers south of Auxerre on the left bank on the river Yonne.
This is a little known appellation, even in France, the harvest is done manually whole cluster fermentation semi-carbonic maceration. Raised in barrique and bottled unfined and unfiltered, 2014 gots nuance of Volatile Acidity along undertone of nail polish with a complete spectrum of sour red fruit raspberry and wild strawberry a stony minerality with green stemmy notes from the Carbonic maceration. The palate was sour a truly lambic acidity and green spinach teeth sensation but with a full flavour. Perhaps this was the most wines pushed the boundaries ... This is a kind of wines you love or you can actually hate. I did enjoy it.

Best
raffaele mastrovincenzo

Blog 
--------------------------------------
wine / spirit / lambic / drinker
Phone +61 478038636






Comments

Post a Comment

A drinker

Chablis Climats and Lieux-dit

Image
Climat: from the Greek Klima via the Latin Cliamtis.  Precisely delimited plots of land which benefit from specific geological and climate conditions...  Lieux-dits a designated area of land with a historical particularity from a topographical point of view of an ancient story... These two terms in wine always as an interchange used; however, you can find several Lieux-dits within a single Climat... Chablis is a really good example of how these two concepts work together.   See the map above and you can see how many Lieux-Dit compose a climat, in this case, 1er Cru. For example Montmains 1er Cru, a famous block of vineyard on the left bank of the Serein river at the bottom holds two famous Lieux-dit called Forets and Butteaux; according to the INAO, this can be a label on his own or as Montmains 1er Cru.  Vaillons 1er Cru got several different names, those are: Sechet, Les Lys, Les Epinottes, Ronciers, Mellinots, Beugnons and Chatains....
Podcast

Brunello based on a map….

Image
Brunello di Montalcino is one of the most famous and prestigious italian wine. All Brunello di Montalcino wine is made exclusive from Sangiovese grapes grown on the slopes around Montalcino a classic Tuscan hilltop village 30 km south of Siena. The world Brunello translates roughly as "Little dark one", and is the local vernacular name for Sangiovese grosso, the large-berries form of Sangiovese which grows in the area. The climate in the production zone is Mediterranean. On the lower slopes the soil is clayey marl, higher up a combination of limestone and marl with some tufaceous volcanic stone. The best soil are "galestro albarese" clay with carbonate of lime and friable rock. The harvest go between the latter part of September and the middle of October. Subdistrict of the Brunello zone Brunello production zone can be divided into three district. The first district takes in the area north and to the east of the town of Montalcino, including the town of Tor...
Podcast

Cahors Simon Busser - Corbières Maziere Fabrice Monnin

Image
SIMON BUSSER from the village in Prayssac, in the AOC Cahors: Cahors is a small town in southwestern France, located 160km to the east of Bordeaux. The climate here is subject to multiple influences; from the Atlantic coast which bring a continental climate, and the Mediterranean from the south which gives a maritime influence. We can divide the AOC into two different terroirs the "Causses" based limestone plateau that produces more tannic, mineral lived wines. The other vineyards profile is the one that influenced by the river Lot with a more gravelly slope which makes more approachable wines on the fruity spectrum profile.  Cahors is home of Malbec, Bordeaux grapes mainly Merlot, and also a small amount of Tannat more present in the neighborhood Madiran AOC.  Simon Busser has been training with Olivier Cousin in the Loire. He returns to his village Prayssac and start to looking after his father’s vineyards. He works his small vineyard with a horse, as Cousin taugh...
Podcast