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Recap of Our Wine Tasting – Six Burgundy Domaines You Ought to Know
© Alexandria Rae Cubbage, 28th March, 2020
On Thursday, I hosted a tasting in our shop featuring six of the domaines that we added to our portfolio this year. We started with two whites from Puligny-Montrachet from Domaine Paul Pernot, and then we moved onto a Meursault from Domaine Heitz-Lochardet and a Chassagne-Montrachet from them too as well as a Pommard. Then, we travelled down south to try a producer we are working with in Givry – Domaine du Cellier aux Moines. From there, we journeyed up to Vougeot and tried wines from Domaine Christian Clerget followed by a stop in Chambolle-Musigny to try wines from Domaine Laurent Roumier. Finally, we ended our trip through Burgundy in the village of Gevrey-Chambertin with Domaine Tortochot.
Domaine Paul Pernot has one of the grandest holdings in Puligny-Montrachet, including an enviable number of 1ers Crus as well as grands crus Bienvenue-Batard-Montrachet and Batard-Montrachet. Recognised for their high quality, much of what they produce goes to supply négociants in Burgundy, while the finest of their wines are bottled at the domaine. The style here is rounded in texture, supple, creamy without being heavy, mineral without being shrill, with generous fruit concentration The 1er Cru selection includes some monopoles, including - 'Champ Canet Clos de la Jaquelotte', and 'Les Chalumaux'.
1st Wine: 2017 Domaine Paul Pernot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru ‘Champ Canet Clos de la Jaquelotte’
This wine showed toasty aromas combined with notes of baked apple, cooked pear and nutmeg spice. It had a lemon acidity balancing out the rich, sweet orchard fruit aromas on the nose with a creamy texture on the palate and medium plus body. At the end of the night, I asked everyone to vote for their two favourite wines of the night, and this wine received four votes.
2nd Wine: 2017 Domaine Paul Pernot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru ‘Les Pucelles’
In this glass, I found more purity of fruit with a crisp, crunchy character and still orchard fruit; it was youthful with a minerally expression and quite nervy. The wine had greater concentration and was medium plus to full in body. It was the overall favourite of the tasting with eight votes for favourite wine of the night.
The winemaking tradition at Heitz-Lochardet dates back to 1857. Domaine Heitz-Lochardet is located in Chassagne-Montrachet and was founded in the mid-1980s by Armand Heitz's parents Brigette and Christian with initially just 5 hectares. Armand studied oenology and then decided to take over his family's vines after completing his studies in 2011. For years. his mother, Brigette had contracted these vines to Maison Joseph Drouhin. And since taking over Armand has sought about regaining control of more of the vines under the domaine. He made his first vintage in 2013 with the help of consulting oenologist Ludovic Pierrot who had spent eight years working with Anne-Claude Leflaive at Domaine Leflaive.
Armand farms the vineyards using biodynamic practices, and his winemaking style is traditional in approach with the use of new oak kept at a minimum, usually around just 20-25%. He believes that all parts of the vine are integral to making a living wine which is part of why he uses whole bunch in his winemaking (most of the reds are 50%-100% whole bunch). The wines produced here express their terroir while also being quite giving in their fruit expression.
3rd Wine: 2017 Domaine Heitz-Lochardet Meursault En la Barre, from magnum
This wine had a smoky aroma on the nose and was still a little reductive. We opened it at 4 p.m. and put it into a decanter and let it sit for an hour and then poured it back into the bottle before pouring it into the glass for each guest at 6:45 p.m. It also conveyed notes of hazelnuts, yellow and white peaches combined with lime citrus. The weight of this wine was medium plus in body. Many found it to be very representative of what they expect in Meursault. I enjoyed this wine as it reminded me of the style of Domaine Roulot which is one of my favourite white Burgundy producers. This Meursault from Heitz-Lochardet received two votes for favourite wine of the night including one of mine.
4th Wine: 2017 Domaine Heitz-Lochardet Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Blanc ‘Morgeot’ from magnum
When we visited Armand in November, he described that they have vines in both the bottom part and the top part of this vineyard. He said the soil in the bottom part is more clay and in the top part of the vineyard there is more limestone and rocks. For this wine, they are blending grapes from both areas. This wine showed aromas of yellow peach, nectarines and other stone fruits with a lime citrus lift. It was much more fruit forward in expression than the Meursault and a bit more giving in fruit aromas than you might expect from Morgeot was the comment of one guest. There was more fruit concentration, richness and body here. These are qualities I associate with this 1er Cru. This wine received two votes for favourite wine of the night.
5th Wine: 2017 Domaine Heitz-Lochardet Pommard 1er Cru ‘Rugiens’
At the domaine, Armand explained that their section of the vineyard is located in the top part in Rugiens-Haut, and the soil is made up of more rocks with limestone, and in general more white soil. This wine displayed flavours of white pepper, sage and other savoury herbal notes; it was very performed with floral aromas likely owing to the fact that Armand uses 100% whole bunch for this wine. The fruit aromas were a combination of red and dark raspberry. There were medium tannins present, but they weren’t overly harsh. It’s a wine that could be drunk now or can be cellared for a few more years. We opened this magnum at 2 p.m. and just let it breathe before pouring it into the glass at 6:35 p.m. This wine received three votes for favourite wine of the night. We don’t have it available in 750ml for the 2017 vintage, but we have the 2018 available En Primeur, so if you liked this wine or want to try it I encourage you to take advantage of our En Primeur pricing; it’s a really good deal. Also, for the whites from Domaine Heitz-Lochardet, do consider the 2018s of these wines.
Perched high up above the village is the Domaine du Cellier aux Moines in Givry, in Burgundy's Côte Chalonnaise. The name of this domaine translates to ‘cellar of the monks’, in this case the Cistercians who founded the Abbey of La Ferte here in 1130.
Philippe and Catherine Pascal and their family have owned and run Domaine du Cellier aux Moines since 2004, and winemaking is led by Guillaume Marko. They make and lead a team of quite some sophistication and experience at the highest level. They've used no pesticides or herbicides since 2006 and converted to biodynamics in 2015 with their first vintage fully using these farming techniques being the 2017. Grapes are hand-harvested, carefully sorted, fermentation is whole-bunch, and state of the art gravity-fed, set deep into a quarry to regulate temperature and humidity with little energy. The estate makes a small range of whites and reds, and on Thursday we focused on their top wine, from a 5 ha south-facing, windy slope next to the monastery.
6th Wine: 2016 Domaine du Cellier aux Moines Givry 1er Cru ‘Clos du Cellier aux Moines’
In this wine, I found flavours of dark cherries and dark raspberries combined with floral aromas, thyme and a tension throughout. The tannins were present but pleasing so as to provide structure for the fruit. There was quite a bit of concentration and intensity of fruit. Perhaps it lacks some of the depth and complexity of wines from Gevrey-Chambertin or Vosne-Romanée, but this is a flavourful wine that I enjoy for drinking at home after a long day. Most found this wine to be the great discovery of the night, and many took a bottle or more home. This wine was our best seller from the tasting. It received four votes for favourite wine of the night.
The cellar for Domaine Christian Clerget is located in Vougeot and managed by Christian and his wife, Isabelle. The vineyards comprise 6 hectares located In Morey-St-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romanée, and Vougeot. Christian and Isabelle believe that great wine is made from the best grapes, so they focus their attention on cultivating top-quality fruit in the vineyard. There is no use or herbicides, insecticides, or chemical treatments or fertilizers: their goal is 10 practice responsible viticulture. The grapes are meticulously scrutinized in the vineyard when picked and on the sorting table with only the best fruit kept.
Pigeages and pump-overs are kept at a minimum to allow the terroir to express in the wines. For maturation. the process is slow with aging in barrel between eighteen to twenty months and a maximum of 50% new oak used for the Echézeaux Grand Cru.
7th Wine: 2017 Domaine Christian Clerget Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru ‘Les Charmes’
In this glass, I smelled aromas of blackberries and other dark berries; the expression was juicy and lush while also having delicacy. Notes of forest floor and dried leaves also showed through. The fruit was fresh and lively with a creamy, round texture. This wine received three votes for favourite wine of the night. We saw a division in the room between those who liked this style of expression for ‘Les Charmes’ while others preferred the style of Domaine Laurent Roumier.
8th Wine: 2017 Domaine Christian Clerget Echézeaux Grand Cru ‘En Orveaux’
Red and dark cherry fruit in this glass reveals itself first. The fruit is bright and pure with elegance and tension on the palate. It delivered a long finish. On our visit to this domaine, Christian explained that this vineyard is located in the section of Echézeaux known for more minerality in its wines; it’s above Clos Vougeot and near Musigny. This minerally quality came through in the wine. it received two votes for favourite wine of the night including one of mine. It’s such an elegant Echézeaux which is what I like so much about the wine. I don’t normally associate this grand cru vineyard with refinement and elegance.
Laurent Roumier is the grandson of Georges Roumier and cousin of Christophe Roumier of Domaine Georges Roumier. Laurent's father, Alain, was the cellar master at Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé for thirty years(from 1950 through to the 1980s). The cellars of Domaine Laurent Roumier are located next to Domaine Georges Roumier.
Domaine Laurent Roumier started in 1991 with 4 hectares Laurent rented from the Roumier family. Then, during the 1990s, he purchased 6 hectares of Haute Côtes de Nuits and since has purchased more Chambolle-Musigny. Currently, the estate comprises approximately 12 hectares. Laurent farms the vineyards without using herbicides or fertilizers.
Likely one of the top vineyards in the range is the Clos Vougeot Grand Cru which was transferred to Laurent Roumier in 1997. The portion that he makes his Clos Vougeot from is in the lieu-dit of Grand Maupertuis which is the higher part of Clos Vougeot bordering the grand cru vineyard of Grands Echézeaux and not far from the grand cru vineyard of Musigny, so it's a very fine area of this grand cru vineyard
For the winemaking, the grapes are 100% de-stemmed and fermented in concrete vats. During alcoholic fermentation, the practices of pumping over and punching down are done every day. The wine is decanted into vats for twelve hours, and then it goes into barrel The percentage of new oak varies depending on the vineyard or cuvée (50% new for grands crus and premiers crus and 30% new for village level and 10% new for Bourgogne Haute Côtes de Nuits). The élevage usually lasts between fifteen to eighteen months.
9th Wine: 2017 Domaine Laurent Roumier Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru ‘Les Charmes’
In this glass, I found density of dark fruit. It felt firm in structure with a full-bodied feel on the palate. I want this wine to sit in the cellar for a few more years before I try it again. Others found this wine more expressive and softer than the Domaine Christian Clerget ‘Les Charmes’. They found it to be more representative of what they expect in a glass of ‘Les Charmes’. This wine received one vote for favourite wine of the night.
10th Wine: 2017 Domaine Laurent Roumier Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
With this wine, flavours of cassis and blackberry came from the glass as well as notes of liquorice and earthy aromas of dried autumn leaves. It was concentrated with medium plus tannins, leaving a full-bodied finish. A few clients commented on how attractive they found this wine with an alluring quality aromatically while also being well balanced. It received two votes for favourite wine of the night.
Domaine Tortochot comprises 12 hectares and is based in Gevrey-Chambertin, but they also have vines in Morey-St-Denis. It's run by Brigitte and Chantal Tortochot, the fourth generation of the family now making wine. Chantal handles the daily activities at the winery. When Chantal took over from her father, she set about converting the vineyards to organic and in 2013 received ECO certification. 'Les Corvées’ is made from a .86 ha parcel in Gevrey-Chambertin and is their experimental vineyard. On the Domaine Tortochot website, Chantal describes her style: "Here we make a more traditional Gevrey Chambertin. with lots of fruit, strong tannins and good acidity These are not really Pinots that can be drunk early ... you have to be a little patient."
For the winemaking, the grapes are 100% de-stemmed and then crushed. Next, the grapes are cooled down in tanks and undergo cold maceration for four to five days. Fermentation takes place with indigenous yeast, and pumping over occurs at the end of each day with two punch downs per day. For ageing the wine, Chantal uses medium toast barrels with 100% new oak on the grands crus, 50% new oak on the premiers crus and 25% new oak for the village wines.
11th Wine: 2017 Domaine Tortochot Gevrey-Chambertin ‘Les Corvées’
This wine is quite charming and very approachable. It conveys floral perfumed aromas of violets with sweet spice notes and dark raspberry fruit. The palate is filled with fruit flavours and well balanced with medium tannins that are already integrated. This wine received no votes for favourite wine of the night. However, it’s another one of my gotos for at home drinking wine. And if you order a case of this wine, we will offer you 15% off and free delivery in Hong Kong. Yep, that’s right, this wine was part of Linden’s offer on Wednesday – “Stock Up On Wines, Not Toilet Paper”.
12th Wine: 2017 Domaine Tortochot Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru
The Charmes-Chambertin was another surprise of the tasting because of its approachability. We couldn’t believe how drinkable it was already. We opened this bottle at 2 p.m. and just let it breathe and then poured it in the glass at 6:35 p.m. It delivered aromas of sweet baking spices, dark cherry fruit with earthy notes of mushroom and forest floor as well as having a minerally drive. The tannins were present but not harsh, and the wine delivered a full-bodied feel on the palate. The fruit seemed to carry the structure well. One client felt that the oak was standing out a bit at this stage. But, he felt that the fruit and structure were there to carry the oak and that it just needed more time to integrate. This wine received six votes for favourite wine of the night and was the second favourite wine overall.
Thank you to everyone who joined me on Thursday night. It was a pleasure to share these new discoveries from Burgundy. We are honoured to now be representing these domaines here in Hong Kong. If you found something that you liked in this tasting or missed the tasting and want to try some of these, do reach out. We like sharing our favourite wines with you and want you to be in the know about the producers to watch from Burgundy. And if you need some wines for casual drinking at home, some of my favourites are: 2016 Domaine du Cellier aux Moines Givry 1er Cru ‘Clos du Cellier aux Moines’ and 2017 Domaine Tortochot Gevrey-Chambertin ‘Les Corvées’.
As a reminder, our next tasting is our Online Live Tasting at Home featuring six villages from Burgundy. We will taste all reds for this first session. Tune in via Facebook live on 2nd April at 4:30 p.m. And if you can’t join us then, don’t worry, we will be recording it, so you will still be able to watch and make comments and ask questions. We will be happy to get back to you. If you want to join us, be sure to order your 6-pack of wine along with 4 tasting booklets that will be delivered directly to your door (HKD 2,800 for the tasting pack). And if you don’t want to drink 6 bottles of wine, don’t worry we are offering a special discount price on the Coravin, so you can pour just a taste of all 6 wines without having to open and drink the full bottles. We will demonstrate the use of the Coravin at the beginning of the tasting, so no stress. Florian and I are excited to taste with you on the 2nd! It’s our way of keeping connected with you through wine during these challenging and everchanging times.
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