Why not take a day to go north from Lyon and enjoy the beauty of Beaujolais.
And what better way to begin the morning than drinking copious amounts of wine chez Georges Descombes. After some brief exchanges with Georges, we spent most of our time with Gigi. She did not want to open too many bottles for cost/waste reasons. But she was very lively and engaged, especially as she encouraged us to drink rather than spit. And she joined in the fun. So we all got a hearty start to the day!
2021 Morgon VV was the perfect Descombes Morgon for me. Juicy fine and deep in aromas, good body, not at all 2021 light. So perfect we kept drinking the bottle.
2022 Regnié was quite ripe and full for the basic level. But of course with the Descombes freshness. A very attractive wine that I would be happy to drink.
I had never seen their white wine, so Gigi opened the 2022 Beaujolais Blanc, which was the exact interpretation of Chardonnay you would expect from Descombes. Round and juicy but also restrained and focused. The fruit expression leans neutral chardonnay orchard and no great complexity. But this is ‘regional’ wine and much cheaper than Bourgogne Blanc. Fine value if one wants that.
Overall, great visit and I was excited to see and buy some cuvees that don’t make it to the US, at least to my knowledge (Chiroubles VV, St Amour VV, Vermont). I hadn’t realized they were biodynamic and so guided by the moon cycles; it was interesting to hear their process.
After lunch, a nice stylistic counterpoint at Coudert/Clos de la Roilette. Here we had more bottles, as Coudert was happy to drink with us across the range. This was great. I hadn’t fully mastered all the lore of how their property predates the Fleurie appellation, what they have the right to call Roilette, which vines go into which bottling, etc. So it was nice to get all of that down. Plus the wines don’t exactly suck…
2023 Brouilly was fleshy with good clean concentrated fruit, in the firm Coudert style, but very accessible in the ripe 2023 style. The new bottling is 2022 Moulin a Vent, which was the first vintage as Domaine Coudert and very very beautiful. Minerality and structure one expects from MaV, but great deep fruit. 2023 Moulin a Vent was more closed, the darker 2023 compote fruit. I guess preferences for vintages will very across people and wines. Right now I prefer the 2022, but who knows over time…
2023 Fleurie was also showing good young fruit from the warm 2023 profile, but with those crisper edges we all know well. It all depends what you want for the occasion. 2023 Fleuie Tardive was SO good. Sexy ripe Beaujolais fruit, the combination of exuberance and focus that Roilette does so well.
2023 Cuvee Christie was tasty, less crisp than the Fleurie, less intense than the Tardive. I suppose that fills a niche? Interesting to hear how Roederer actually sued them for using the name Christal, so now they call it Christie.
2021 Griffe du Marquis showed the vintage with its herbal minty profile. Elegant and delicious. There is a place for this wine, depending on preferences. 2022 Griffe du Marquis had beautiful fruits on the nose, more tannins on the palate. In both cases, I suppose these enter into the ongoing discussion about when to open the Roilette wines to find them at their best.
I asked about that issue and Coudert said they actually noticed the wines tasting worst in their cellar in October/November. They didn’t have a full explanation for the timing, although later Eric Texier would propose the idea of wines feeling awkward as they transition to colder winter months. Not sure that explains all of the Roilette timing challenges, perhaps the vein of crisp acid structure that is usually present also adds to the longer awkward period.
Regardless, over the years, I’ve had mixed enthusiasm about how to fit the Roilette wines into my consumption habits. But this visit left me happy and ready to try again.
A fine end to a great day came with our visit with Eric Texier. Incredibly hospitable and some lovely time spent together. I think we all know what a great expression of wine Eric produces, so it was a pleasure to taste them sur place.
In the cellar, we tasted a few wines not yet bottled. The 2023 Adèle was a juicy entry level wine, working through some RS, but will surely be ready for your aperitif hour. Similarly, the 2023 Chat Fou was lively fresh crisp and crunchy red fruit. Not often one gets Grenache like this, although to be fair, it is blended with Cinsault and Clairette. Again, ready for your aperitif.
Always interesting to compare terroirs with the 2023 Brézème and the 2023 St Julien en St Alban. Both are lovely expressions of terroir, and the dark ripe 2023 syrah fruit is present in both. Great precision in the St Julien, followed by tannins on the end. The Brézème is always a personal favorite for the lovely clarity of the fruits and then the vibrant acid structure.
Going back in time, we also enjoyed the 2022 Brézème and the 2021 Brézème. The 2022 has lots of fruit, Eric notes that it shows very varietal at the moment. I find it very delicious, but with the 2021 we do get a bit more feel for what I’ve come to understand as the vibrant Brézème structure. Drink them all depending on what you want.
Stepping up to Brézème Vielle Serine, we have the 2023 and 2021. 2023 has gorgeous fruit, the ripe year, but with such clarity. It won’t be bottled for several years, so I’m not the one to prognosticate on its future, but I can’t wait to taste it again. The 2021 was more challenging to taste on the day, high-toned, in the structure, certainly a great expression for the right time.
Lastly, some Roussanne. Which I should perhaps drink more often, given my name. I often spend so much time with Riesling and Chenin, I barely have time for other white wines. But these were all a treat, and so perfect with the delicious favas from Eric’ garden adorned with olive oil and salt. Not reproducible in my Manhattan apartment, but there are many pleasures in life!
First, the 2023 Brézème Roussanne was deliciously mild in its oily character, with a full body, but balanced nicely by fresh herbal notes. Going back in time, 2009 and 2006 Brézème Roussanne were both showing lots of drinkable fruit, some mellowed textures, but plenty vibrant. The 2006 was the standout for me, more nuanced flavors, and if my notes are correct, Eric said they picked in the middle of October at 11.5%. Bravo!