Burgundy - Maranges - Mâconnais - Chiroubles
Lately I have been enjoying the Pinot Noir for the Commune of Maranges in Burgundy:
This commune grows mainly Pinot Noir plus some Chardonnay, is bordering between the Côte-d’Or and the Saône-et-Loire close to the village of Santenay; with some great Premiers Crus. Maranges was granted its own AOC Village in 1988 covering the three villages of Cheilly-lès-Maranges, Dezize-lès-Maranges, and Sampigny-lès-Maranges. The vineyards mostly have a South/South-westerly exposure and lie at altitudes of 240-400 meters. The hill-slopes are differently oriented to those of the Côte de Beaune, making up a varied patchwork of hills and valleys.
Previously in this blog I spoke of Clair Obscure and their 1er Cru Sur less Bois Sud
In this post I want to speak about this amazing vigneron Jean & Isabelle Vantey a Domaine des Rouges Queues "Fields of red tales".
The story is a fairy tale. They had a crush on this wonderful little domain nestled at the bottom of the valley south of Meursault. Coming from different walks of life, they start in Sampigny-les-Maranges in 1989 they purchased their first hectare of vineyard. Today they owns 6 hectares on red and white crus. In 2008 that they adopted a biodynamic approach, horse plowing, neither insecticides nor weedkillers, wild yeasts, litttle filtration and sulfur is used very minimum. The wines are matured for about 10 months in barrels never new so far, which impart minimum woody character to the wines.
The wine I had was a 2017 Maranges En Bulliet
Lovely vivid Purple color, the nose does have a hint of nail polishes I guess coming for the old barrel used some may have some little infection but swirling the glass and some air this smell adds complexity to the wine, and definitely put their identity a natural winemaking. As well on the nose lots of blue fruit, stony minerality. The palate is superb I have been love 2017 I think is an amazing vintage, savoury, said very vertical with great spine acidity. A great wine, the next day is in better shape complex and more open always on the razor of acidity.
The next wine from Maranges was from Pierre Fenals a producer located in S. Aubin I actually visited him some years ago, a man used to work in fashion in Paris and late on his life made a change and become a natural vigneron in Burgundy. He trained with Trapet, Lapierre, and Emmanuel Giboulot. In 2002 he purchased his first 2.5 hectares of vines in Maranges and in the Haute Côtes de Beaune.
I had the 2016 Maranges
the wine had notes Boise I reckon some new oak was in the elevage and also had this slight sweetness perception on the top of the tongue can be 2016 which after frost and raining had nice warm summer trough Septmber especially in the Cote de Beaune. Overall the wine was beautiful and I reckon worth to cellar.
Nicolas Faure another new produce in Burgundy he is coming from Bordeaux
Hie workes as a “tractors” at Domaine Prieuré-Roch, he was in the cellar at Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, all while acquiring some of the lands for himself. Apparently, he does have a very small cellar in Burgundy, where he shows that some of the naturalist tendencies (semi-carbonic maceration, very low sulfur) he owns an old-vine parcel in Premeaux-Prissey, not far from several important Nuits-Saint-Georges premiers crus.
I had the beautiful 2017 Aux Argillieres a entry-level Bourgogne.
Pretty solid wine with lots of fruit and of course oak due his training he loves new barrel this guy.
Domaine Chamonard
Having lived and worked among the ‘superstars’ of Beaujolais, Joseph Chamonard created a wonderful environment for his vines in Morgon. On the hill of Morgon, his vines stayed healthy without chemical assistance. Joseph passed away in 1990, leaving his daughter Genevieve and her husband Jean-Claude Chanudet to carry on the health of his 4 hectare parcels, located in Corcelette, near the town of Ville-Morgon. Harvest is done by handpicking, the berry are always fully ripe, only natural yeasts used for fermentation to its natural end. The wine is made the traditional way with respect to nature.
Morgon “Le Clos de Lys" 2017
From 4 hectares of massale-selection vines averaging 60 years old, mainly from the parcels of les Martillets, Chenes and Corcelette and the grapes are hand-harvested in late - October to maximize ripeness and intensive selection. Fermentation begins spontaneously in 3000L cuves that he then combines with the use of carbonic maceration and conventional fermentation with indigenous yeast and whole clusters intact for 10-20 day, followed by 8 months in foudre. The grapes are then pressed under a wooden cap, moved to foudre and fût casks. Rested on lees for 8-10 months. Violets, hints of iron, floral and velvety palate, earthy acidity.
Here the sons really keeping doing the exact same job the ancestor told them, not like what's happening in Lapierre cellar.
Pierre Boyat
After 2 decades of traditional winemaking, Pierre decided to sell his family’s estate and focus on organic agriculture. He found that only ancestral methods allow the real expression of his terroir and that the wine must be made without any additives or SO2. He bought 2 ha of vines on different parcels, he built his winery right next to his vines and he treats them like his garden. 5000 bottles per year of St Veran and gamay and certified Ecocert. The reds are label as Vin de France because they don't match the profile the AOC looking for. But Pierre thinks the opposite because he sees his wine as the most representative of the appellation. Pierre was influenced by Philippe Jambon, the winemaker of Beaujolais. Philippe influences Pierre’s work and supports his estate by selling his St Veran under his label “Une Tranche.”
2015 Pure Laine
Rich gold in color with amazing consistent I felt the alcohol but there was a refreshing high acidity which will make the wine very digestible. I think the wine has been aging in untopped barrel due to the nuttiness and salty oxidative notes, all this characteristic made the wine very interesting; we were the impression to be in Jura territory but with the richness of the Maconnais. Was a perfect matching with our Japanese Curry.
Domaine Chapel is a Beaujolais estate founded by David Chapel and Michele Smith-Chapel in the cru village of Régnié. David met his wife, Michele Smith during his working time at Domaine Lapierre in 2013, she was a famous sommelier in NY city. They relocated to the cru village of Régnié in Beaujolais in 2015 and 2016 was their first vintage. Domaine Chapel will produce two cuvées from their own 3 hectares of vineyards in the crus of Fleurie and neighboring Chiroubles, in addition to Juliénas and Beaujolais-Villages.
The wine we had was a Chiroubles from two vineyards one Saint-Roch and the other was called Poullet. Rich intense color with a nice tannin perception but still in Gamay style, more a serious Cote D'Or wine than a gamy-ish semi-carbonic maceration. Definitely, you fell the skill of winemaking and knowledge of wine connoisseur in the glass, the oak is perceiving but very in balance with the fruit of Gamay as Chiroubles blue and dark as plum and cherry. The mineral granitic component is there as a dry rock element. Good expansive oak.
Domaine Valette
Philippe and Cécile are the 3rd generations of vigneron who took over a vineyard that has been cultivated according to organic farming principles for almost 20 years. The 15 hectares are located in Chaintré as well as a few parcels in Vinzelles are operated by a dedicated couple who have adopted a non-interventionist attitude so that the wines will fully express their outstanding terroir. The chalky-clay and siliceous soils are either aerated through plowing or grass-covered depending on the parcels. This encourages the development of microorganisms in the soils, which helps the vines to remain healthy and “free”, small yields. Long maturing on fine lees up to 72 months. The Cuvée Monsieur Noly is a good example. The wines will not be released for sale until the winemaker considers they are 100% ready. The 7 Cuvees are mostly based on Chardonnay and are a marvel of complexity, balance, and precision. Each one of them has their own personality.
2014 Vire Clesse
was the saltiest wines I had from this producer less oxidative of the previous experience I had with Valette wines, very Mersault Perrieres. 2014 is so good, this Vire Clesse was so energetic, razor acidity and be in such a rich terroir was very vertical. Loved.
Best
raffaele mastrovincenzo
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