TN: 2018 Daniel Bouland Morgon Les Délys - Too Ripe

IMHO, the 2016 and 2017 versions of this cuvee was one of the wines of the vintages. While I have not had that many 2018s yet, this cuvee is too ripe. It’s not bad. It’s actually superficially tasty. But not classic, and just teeters over the edge. Low acid. Lacking energy and verve. Drink on the cooler side. Pass at $40 retail.

welcome to 18 and 19

Bill Nanson has just declared 2018 a great vintage for Beaujolais. I am skeptical as hell personally but I guess I am going to need to buy a chosen few with ideally lower alcohol (13 and below) to see.

[EDIT] I took the time to re-read what I wrote in my report - and in the 2018 Beaujolais report I never once said ‘it’s a great vintage’ only in a blog post alerting readers that the report was online did I say an ‘an often, great vintage’ But I also said:
Occasional wines required rebooting with cultured yeasts, and a few probably retain a gram, or four, of residual sugar. These are still impressive wines with your first sip – but they quickly become fatiguing – it’s possible that you won’t finish your glass. Sweetness in 2018 is not always just ripe fruit…
I loved Daniel’s Delys in previous vintages, wholeheartedly recommending it - but in 2018 I didn’t choose either of the two Delys (Foudre 9 or old vines 8) as ‘must buys…’ but thought the latter had much potential despite being a little tight 6 weeks ago.
There are indeed many areas where I experienced greatness, and they are in the report.

I liked this better than you when I tasted it at the winery last year, and for what it’s worth, Daniel actually prefers it to his 2017. I have some bottles in the cellar so might open one tonight to see how it’s evolving. Of course, it is definitely one of the richer, more powerful wines of the vintage. For the totally opposite end of the spectrum, try Guy Breton’s 2018s.

My bad about the inaccurate quote, apologies. There was indeed the word “often” in front of it.

I have to admit being bummed, especially since I generally like this cuvee and Bouland wines very much. I saved 1/4 of the bottle to check back the next night (tonight). My wife like this wine very much, but she prefers sweeter reds. She generally thinks I have odd taste in wine, lol. Think, Chinon.

I’ll grab some Breton. Still need to try Thivin, my perennial fave.

I believe I tried one of these a couple of months ago, but can’t certify that it wasn’t the '17. Whichever I tried, it was slurpable. Very user friendly for a Morgon, but I have found the Foudre 9 works for me from the back of the truck until it is gone.

Cheers,
fred

I would put this is in the user friendly, slurpable realm. Not a Vin du Gard as one might normally expect with this more pricey cuvee.

William, how does the Delys compare to the other wines in the Bouland range in 2018, like Corcelette? I am still on the lookout for some of these.

Your problem, William, is that you weren’t blessed with the palate of a yak, like Robert.

He is now distinguishing cuvées by soil type and lieu dit rather than foudre number so you are back to square one!

It’s the deepest, richest, most muscular cuvée, and it’s sometimes more like a young Cornas than a typical Morgon. The vines are extremely old, behind Daniel’s new house.

It took me about 15 minutes to dig out a bottle from under numerous other cases that I had stacked on top of it, but I found it. Will try tomorrow night alongside Foillard’s 2018 CdP and Métras’ 2018 Fleurie. May even make a video of it since I can’t leave the house. But my intuition is that, since the wine didn’t appear to be overripe, this is simply puppy fat that will dissipate with some bottle age. The fact that the tannins are suppler than they were in the 2017 likely emphasizes the fruit at this stage. And 2018 is simply a very fruit-driven vintage, so that may just not be for you. Anyway, I’ll report back tomorrow!

Second night, no bueno. Fat and hot. Got dumped.

This vintage of Bouland’s flagship cuvee is just not working for me.

I like his wines and have a few bottles. I usually like my Bojo with 8-10 years. I just shifted these down in the cellar. I think I will filter them back up and make them a second bottle during a bbq. Robert, this doesn’t sound promising.

The 2018 Coudert Roillette normale [which I believe received an yuge score from Tanzer] is very sauve & debonair for the first couple of days, but then it goes skanky on Day 3.

The 2018 Brun L’Ancien is angular & awkward & disjointed for the first few days, but then all the components finally integrate and it becomes a big sweet fruit bomb which refuses to oxidize.

Neither bares any resemblance whatsoever to what Dressner gamay once tasted like [but they’re both very impressive, each in its own way].

Who waits for day three? :slight_smile:
Alain Coudert and Laurent Martray were the ones who hit it out of the park for me in 2018…

I visited both Coudert and Bouland last year on a burgundy trip - bought both based on tasting there (more or less same amount). My recollection was that Coudert was much more approachable (delicate?) than Bouland. Need to try again!

I think that was me, actually! But Steve handed over Beaujolais to Josh Reynolds (who I think also liked the wine) a while ago in any case.