EN PRIMEUR BURGUNDY OFFER

Transcription

1 INCORPORATING EN PRIMEUR BURGUNDY OFFER FEATURING 2016 If there was ever a vintage so dominated and affected by variable weather conditions, this is the year! In last year s offer of the 2015 vintage we had given advance warning of the difficulties 2016 was going to bring us. We believe you should have an understanding of what the vignerons had to cope with will be long remembered as the year of the bad frosts, the worst to hit the region since It was the night of April 26 th / 27 th when the devastation happened. Usually the frost hits the lower slopes and the Premier and Grand Cru vineyards are spared, but not this year. There were few communes that escaped relatively unscathed. Morey St Denis and Santenay fared best, Gevrey Chambertin escaped the worst as did Puligny Montrachet with the exception of the Grand Crus. In the Cotes de Beaune, Chassagne Montrachet was the worst hit where a number of Premier Crus produced virtually no wine at all. Savigny Les Beaune was badly hit where our friends in Tollot-Beaut lost 70% of the harvest. In Meursault, Dominique Lafon only made five barrels of Meursault Villages where he would usually produce fifty. Fortunately, the more southerly vineyards of Chalonnais and Maçonnais were not affected by the frosts. No sooner had the vignerons recovered from the shock and effects of the frost then Mother Nature threw rain on the vineyards which resulted in severe attacks of mildew leaving virtually no grapes untouched. Many vignerons who practiced organic farming had to abandon it and reluctantly resort to spraying to save the harvest and their livelihood. There was however some light at the end of the tunnel with wonderful dry sunny weather breaking through in July. This sunshine was tempered by a shower or two in September refreshing the vines and enabling the maturation of the fruit to develop under perfect weather conditions. The remaining grapes were ripe and healthy, with both sugar and acidity perfectly balanced in the resultant wine. The final result: many excellent white wines that possess the acidity of the 2014 s with some of the richness of the 2015 s, an ideal combination. The reds have developed classic rich fruit on the palate with an exciting balancing acidity on the finish. Overall a very good vintage; certainly not selling itself short of the highly acclaimed 2015 s, but regrettably in very short supply. 1

2 DOMAINE BOUCHARD PÈRE ET FILS, COTE D OR Bouchard Père et Fils position as the largest vineyard holders in Burgundy gives them great diversity in the region but does not prevent them from the effects of the severe frosts of Bouchard have steadily been improving and tweaking their wines, focussing on fruit quality and a brand new winery. This new facility enables them to vinify each specific site separately, whilst using gravity flow systems and less intrusive winemaking to allow the fruit to really demonstrate site quality in the resultant wine. Frederic Webber, their head winemaker, reported that they lost between 50% and 60% of production throughout the region resulting in the lowest yield for years. Philippe Prost winemaker turned technical director, cited the high levels of rainfall at the beginning of the year as being significant in releasing important amounts of minerals from the soil hence benefiting the vines. Webber went on to point out that following the frosts, the arrival of mildew in the vineyards was a big problem which meant they had to take preventative measures. The April frost damage meant that second and third generation grapes produced later than grapes from the first buds had to be eliminated at vintage time through careful picking and diligence at the sorting tables. We are delighted to report that Bouchard have produced an excellent range of wines from the 2016 vintage. Frederic Webber summarises them as follows; The red wines have a beautiful dark ruby colour. The expressive bouquets develop aromas of black fruits and floral notes such as violet and peony. All this combined with delicate touches of spices and mocha. The attack is elegant, the tannins fine and well covered, and the body is round, concentrated and generous. Persistence is accompanied by fresh, fruity final notes. These wines are loyal to their terroir and continue to age in barrels on their lees for increased roundness. The white wines have a pale yellow colour with green shades. The bouquets decline a large aromatic array of floral, candied citrus fruit and hazelnut. Their power and length on the palate are a sign of excellent ripeness. At the finish, coolness combines elegantly with notes of citrus fruit, lime and a hint of toasted bread. Additional ageing will enable them to open fully. Our allocations are obviously smaller than usual so please contact us directly to ensure supply. DOMAINE BOUCHARD PÈRE ET FILS - REDS Vintage Case size Under bond Monthelie 1 er Cru Clos les Champs Fulliot- Domaine x75cl Savigny-les-Beaune 1er Cru les Lavières Domaine x75cl Beaune 1er Cru Teurons Domaine x75cl Beaune 1er Cru Clos de la Mousse Monopole Domaine x75cl Volnay 1 er Cru Caillerets - Ancienne Cuvée Carnot - Domaine x75cl Nuits-Saint-Georges 1 er Cru les Cailles Domaine x75cl Beaune Grèves 1 er Cru Vigne de l'enfant Jésus Domaine x75cl Gevrey Chambertin 1 er Cru Les Cazetieres Domaine x75cl Le Corton Grand Cru- Domaine x75cl WHITES Meursault Les Clous- Domaine x75cl Meursault 1 er Cru Genevrières Domaine x75cl Puligny Montrachet 1 er Cru Chalumaux Domaine x75cl Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru- Domaine x75cl DOMAINE WILLIAM FÉVRE CHABLIS Chablis has suffered notoriously over the past few years with frost damage. William Fevre s winemaker, Didier Séguier describes 2016 as a growing season absolutely ravaged by frost. It was so bad in places that there was essentially no harvest at all. In one sector where we have 28 ha of vines we barely realized 50 hl, which is to say less than 2 hl/ha!. Following the frosts in April came heavy rainstorms with intermittent hail in May which caused serious attacks of mildew, fortunately the weather improved from the second half of June which saved what was left of the vintage. 2

3 DOMAINE WILLIAM FÉVRE CHABLIS cont. Despite the ravages of the weather some excellent wines have been produced, with which Didier is very pleased, having the freshness of the 2014 s with the richness of the We are releasing these wines on a first come first served basis. DOMAINE WILLIAM FÉVRE WINES Grand Crus packed in 6 bottle wooden cases Vintage Case size Under bond Chablis 1 er Cru Vaulorent, Domaine x75cl Chablis Grand Cru Bougros, Domaine x75cl Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses, Domaine x75cl Chablis Grand Cru Bougros Cotes de Bougerottes, Domaine x75cl Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos, Domaine x75cl DOMAINE LOUIS MICHEL, CHABLIS This year we are pleased to re-introduce Louis Michel s excellent Chablis into our offer. The estate is now run by Guillaume Gicqueau-Michel, who, like most growers in Chablis, had a myriad of problems with the growing season. Despite the difficulties Guillaume is very pleased with the results. The acidities of the 2016 s are not that different from the 2015 s, while the 2016 s show more typicity of Chablis and are improving all the time, the 2015 s are richer and denser. In the end its down to individual taste and preference. The estate has a very important holding of Montee de Tonnerre which is always most expressive and is seen by many as his signature wine; one that can greatly improve with ageing if given the chance. We are pleased to be able to offer both the 2015 s and 2016 s together. DOMAINE LOUIS MICHEL WINES Vintage Case size Under bond case price Chablis 1 er Cru Montee de Tonnerre x75cl Chablis Grand Cru Vaudesirs x75cl Chablis Grand Cru Grenouilles x75cl Chablis 1 er Cru Fourchaume x75cl Chablis 1 er Cru Montee de Tonnerre x75cl Chablis Grand Cru Vaudesirs x75cl Chablis Grand Cru Grenouilles x75cl DOMAINE MICHEL BOUZEREAU ET FILS, MEURSAULT The Bouzereau family have been at the heart of wine making in Meursault for many generations, with Domaine Michel Bouzereau the pre-eminent producer of the extended family. Michel s son Jean Baptiste has been running the estate for the past ten years. Their philosophy is simple with vines cultivated without any chemical fertilizers and all the harvesting done by hand. The estate comprises 12 hectares predominantly in Meursault and Puligny Montrachet. The style focusses on purity, with great elegance. Concentration and finesse show great potential for aging. We include the Bourgogne Chardonnay in recognition of its depth and richness at this level; coming from vines in Meursault and Puligny this wine s quality equals many village examples from here. Like most growers Jean Baptiste lost about one third of his potential production to frost. His delicious Bourgogne Chardonnay will be more Puligny based than Meursault this year resulting in a wine with good weight and citrus character. His excellent lieu dit Meursault Les Grands Charron usually comes from 5 plots, but this year he only used the grapes from the higher plots which were unaffected by the frost and as a result he only produced 25 barrels instead of the usual 40. 3

4 DOMAINE MICHEL BOUZEREAU ET FILS WINES Vintage Case size Under bond Bourgogne Chardonnay x75cl Meursault Les Grands Charron x75cl Meursault 1er Cru Blagny x75cl Meursault 1er Cru Les Charmes Dessus x75cl DOMAINE COMTES LAFON, MEURSAULT Dominique Lafon has been in charge of the estate since 1985 and in continuing on from his father has developed an outstanding reputation for the Domaine which is now one of the most respected for white burgundy. Not only are the Lafon s holding in the best vineyards of Meursault and Volnay but they are mostly very well placed within each plot. Cultivated following biodynamic principles the life and vivacity of the wines produced goes someway to explain the growing International demand for these wines. These are some of the most sought after wines in Burgundy and are in very limited supply. At a recent tasting Dominique was telling us how badly he had been affected by the frosts in In a regular vintage he would expect to produce about 50 barrels of both Meursault Villages and Clos de la Barre, in 2016 he produced only 5 and 8 respectively and only 1/3 of his Volnay. With Dominique, his releases are always behind other producers in the region, hence we are offering the very special 2015 vintage of his wines. Tighter allocations, in view of the approaching miniscule 2016 vintage and higher prices are unfortunately a sign of the times with top wines from Burgundy in these climatically difficult times. COMTES LAFON WINES Vintage Case size Under Bond case Meursault Villages x75cl Meursault Villages MAGNUMS x150cl Meursault Clos de la Barre x75cl Meursault 1er Cru Charmes x75cl REDS Volnay 1er Cru Santenots de Melieu x75cl LES HERITIERS DU COMTE LAFON, MACONNAIS Dominique Lafon was one of the first Cote d Or superstar winemakers to venture into the Maconnais region. In 1999 he bought vineyards around Milly-Lamartine and created the range of wines under the label Les Heritiers du Comte Lafon. Following the same biodynamic principles as the properties in Meursault, these wines are seen as some of the most expressive and intense in the area. The daily running of the estate is overseen by Caroline Gan who looks after the growing 26 hectares. The wines are partially vinified in a combination of stainless steel, large wooden foudres and 600ltr demi-muids which are becoming increasingly popular. Jancis Robinson recently wrote that she sees them as a serious alternative to the more Northerly communes, that are becoming less and less accessible to the average Burgundy lover. The Clos de la Crochette whilst being historically significant as one of the first sites to be planted by the monks of Cluny over 1,000 years ago, is an area that manages to capture a steely elegance meaning that these wines are less forward than those of Milly-Lamartine. The severe frosts of Chablis and Cote d Or fortunately did not spread as far down as the Maconnais, which has produced excellent wines in While the Milly-Lamartine and Clos de la Crochette showed the typicity we have grown used to, the newer Crus were full of character. Macon-Prisse was fresh well balanced with underlying richness, the Vire-Clesse has perfect weight and texture while the Saint Veran has a compelling bouquet and much more richness with a sublime mineral touch to balance the wine. LES HERITIERS DU COMTE LAFON WINES Vintage Case size Under bond Macon Milly Lamartine, Heritiers du Comte Lafon x75cl Macon Prisse, Heritiers du Comte Lafon x75cl Macon Chardonnay Clos de la Crochette, H du Comte Lafon x75cl Vire Clesse, Heritiers du Comte Lafon x75cl Saint Veran, Heritiers du Comte Lafon x75cl

5 MARC MOREY, CHASSAGNE MONTRACHET This estate was originally established in the 1930 s by Fernand Morey. It was taken over by his son Marc in the 1950 s whose son-in-law Bernard Mollard now runs the estate with his daughter Sabine who is responsible for most of the winemaking. They have some important holdings in Chassagne and Puligny Montrachet. Like so many producers this year Morey was devastated by the frost, as a consequence they didn t produce any Chassagne Montrachet Les Vergers or Chenevottes and their En Virondot lost half its crop, however we were fortunate to acquire some this year. It is often regarded as their best 1er Cru and it certainly shows in the wines of Wonderfully old fashioned, demonstrating each personalities of each vineyard with intense direction and precision, these sought after whites are classics that will never fade. The wines are aromatic, sleek, elegant, steely and perfectly balanced. The very amiable duo of Sabine and her father Bernard are producing some exceptional wines from their Chassagne headquarters. MARC MOREY WINES Vintage Case size Under bond Bourgogne Blanc x75cl Chassagne Montrachet Villages x75cl Chassagne Montrachet 1 er Cru En Virondot x75cl Puligny Montrachet 1 er Cru Les Referts x75cl TOLLOT-BEAUT, CHOREY LES BEAUNE Tollot-Beaut is a reliable source for a range of delicious consumer friendly wines that seem to get better as the years go by. The wines are beautifully open in style, with rich generous fruit flavours and judicious use of new oak. They have a certain poise, with great depth and elegance and consistently over deliver for the price. The property was one of the very first to Domaine bottle their wines in the early 1920 s; today it is run by Nathalie Tollot and her extended family. In preparing last year s Burgundy offer we telegraphed the plight that Tollot-Beaut suffered with the 2016 vintage in which they lost two thirds of their crop to the frost. The worst hit vineyards were in Savigny les Beaune where they have two Premier Crus, Monopole Champ Chevrey and les Lavieres, they had to declassify the small amount they had down to village Savigny and there was not even enough for us to buy! They also had to declassify their Beaune and Chorey les Beaune. On the up side, Tollot-Beaut do make delicious ripe, fruit forward wines that have long had many admirers. The Bourgogne Pinot Noir always makes good drinking and offers ample cherry and strawberry fruit with fine freshness on the palate. The Chorey Les Beaune is blended with La Piece du Chapitre, that we usually buy, due to lack of volume, and the wine is a triumph, medium bodied with pure well defined fruit with fine structure and length. The Aloxe Corton Villages was unaffected by the frost and following 25% new oak maturation is medium bodied with delicious dark fruit character with a well-structured finish. The premier Cru Vercots is excellent while the two Grand Crus are sublime. Don t let their production issues cloud your judgement as Tollot-Beaut have produced yet another wonderful range of wines. DOMAINE TOLLOT-BEAUT WINES Vintage Case size Under bond Bourgogne Rouge x75cl Chorey Les Beaune x75cl Aloxe Corton x75cl Aloxe Corton 1 er Cru Les Vercots x75cl Corton, Grand Cru x75cl Corton Bressandes Grand Cru x75cl

6 HUBERT LAMY, ST. AUBIN There is no doubt that this is the finest estate in Saint Aubin where Olivier Lamy who took over from his father in 1996 and is making exquisite wines each year. Here is one of the best of examples in Burgundy of the next generation of a family lifting their estate to new heights of excellence. Most of Olivier s vineyards are situated in the midst of the worst frost afflicted area, notably Chassagne Montrachet where Olivier lost his whole crop of 1er Cru Macherelles. The St Aubin vineyards were severely hit by the frost, however, Olivier managed to survive reasonably well (losing 1/3 of his crop), something he attributes to his rigorous pruning system which allowed for strong second generation fruit that managed to develop and ripen homogeneously making up for the two weeks lost to the frost. His vineyards in Santenay were not affected by the frosts leaving room for a rare price reduction on his red wines! Due to the difficulties of the vintage and emergent delicate fruit character; no new oak was used. The wines show the classic style we have come used to with Lamy, their ample minerality and vibrant fruit making them stand out from their peers. HUBERT LAMY - WINES Vintage Case size Under bond Bourgogne Les Chataigners x75cl Saint Aubin 1 er Cru Les Frionnes x75cl Saint Aubin 1 er Cru Derriere Chez Edouard x75cl Saint Aubin 1 er Cru En Remilly x75cl Chassagne Montrachet «Les Concis du Champs» x75cl A very limited number of Magnums are available of Frionnes x150cl and Derriere Chez Edouard, please request if interested RED WINES Santenay «Les Hates» x75cl Santenay 1 er Cru «Clos des Gravieres» x75cl JACQUES CARILLON, PULIGNY-MONTRACHET The Carillon family have been seen as the cornerstone of winemaking in Puligny-Montrachet since In 2012 the Domaine was divided into two, between Jacques and his brother François. They both now have 5.5 ha each. The village Puligny and 1er Cru Les Perrières was split in half; Jacques kept 1er Crus Champs-Canet, the Referts and the entire holding of Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet, also now making use of his Chassagne-Montrachet village and Chassagne 1er Cru Les Macherelles. As chief winemaker at Louis Carillon before producing wines under his own name, followers of that Domaine can be assured that his style has not changed. Frost was not a major issues in their vineyards, enabling them to produce an excellent range of wines in Jacques sees the style as being between the 2015 and 2014 s, with more minerality than 2015 but richer than the His village wine from Puligny is perfectly balanced with ripe fruit and crisp acidity and has been vinified in 20% new oak, it is best to give this sumptuous wine some time to develop in bottle. The best things always come in small packages; such is true here, with small allocations. It will very much be a case of the early bird getting the worm. JACQUES CARILLON WINES Vintage Case size Under bond Puligny Montrachet Villages x75cl Puligny Montrachet 1 er Cru Les Referts x75cl Puligny Montrachet 1 er Cru Les Perrieres x75cl Puligny Montrachet 1 er Cru Champ Canet x75cl Bienvenue Batard Montrachet Grand Cru x75cl

7 DOMAINE FRANÇOIS LEGROS, NUITS ST GEORGES In 1988 Francois took over the estate from his parents which he now runs with his wife Christine. They have recently been joined by their daughter Charlotte who has just completed a degree in Oenology in Beaune, bringing new vision and dimension to the family estate. They draw from 7 hectares; comprising their own vineyards, tenant holdings and sharecropping. The vineyard holdings are spread from Morey St Denis in the Côtes de Nuits to St.Aubin in Côtes de Beaune. The Pinot Noir, once picked, is all de-stemmed and fermented in cement before ageing in oak for between 12 and 18 moths depending on the Cru, which will also determine the type and toasting of the barrels. The style is succulent and lively with wonderful fruit expression. Each wine beautifully illustrating the complexities from each commune. They have a particularly good Bourgogne Rouge which comes from 4 parcels of vines between Morey St Denis and Chambolle-Musigny, a much prized asset when it is as good as this! Last year we introduced their wines to the portfolio and the 2014 and 2015 s were very well received. The challenges of 2016 means the wines are a little less concentrated than the 2015 s but show good fruit and ripe tannins with fine balance. More linear, a vintage for those looking for the less powerful styles. DOMAINE FRANÇOIS LEGROS - WINES Under bond Bourgogne Pinot Noir x75cl Nuits Saint George x75cl Morey St Denis 1er Cru Clos Sorbe x75cl Nuits Saint George 1er Cru Les Perriers x75cl DOMAINE GERARD SEGUIN, GEVREY CHAMBERTAIN This estate dates back to the 1800 s, it was Alexis Seguin who was one of the pioneers of grafting American rootstocks following the Phylloxera crisis of the 1880 s. Gerard now manages the estate with his son Jerome, they have gradually been adding new parcels of vines over the years and have built up an estate of 6.25 hectares primarily in Gevrey- Chambertin. Despite being a Domaine steeped in tradition, the cuverie and cellars were renovated and updated as recently as The vineyards are run sustainably with most of the cellar work, especially the bottling, performed in conjunction with the Biodynamic calendar. Their range includes a Fixin, which is a lesser known but interesting appellation just north of Gevrey offering good value and early appeal. The Gevrey-Chambertin vineyard; La Justice is seen as one of the better sites of Gevrey with a lack of stones giving warmer soils and fuller wines from vines that are over 40 years old. Having introduced these wines last year, they received very good acclaim and we later took in the Gevrey Chambertin Vieilles Vignes when the la Justice sold out quickly. The Fixin is great value, a less famous commune that is certainly worth a look. The site of the vieilles vignes is situated close to the Grand Cru of Charmes Chambertin, average ages of these vines are between 60 and 90 years old. Gerard s 2016 s are very successful showing a lot of ripe fruit and complexity. DOMAINE GERARD SEGUIN - WINES Under bond Fixin La Place x75cl Gevrey Chambertin La Justice x75cl Gevrey Chambertin Vieilles Vignes x75cl Chambolle Musigny Derriere le Four x75cl Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Craipillot x75cl

8 TERMS OF OFFER. All wines are offered UNDER BOND excluding duty and VAT Duty rates are 12x75cl = and 6x75cl = Wines may be transferred under-bond, or duty to be paid on arrival in addition to above prices. Wines to be shipped and taken on arrival between June and October depending on supplier. Payment in full on delivery, which will be on arrival of the wines. A number of these wines are in very short supply as they are much sought after and suppliers have limited allocations. All orders are subject to final confirmation and stocks remaining unsold. Please contact NIGEL WERNER nwerner@tindalwine.com or HARRIET TINDAL htindal@tindalwine.com to reserve any of these wines. THIS EXCLUSIVE OFFER EXPIRES ON APRIL 30 TH