Persistence has finally paid off. Over the years we have been fortunate enough to have been able to drink a fair bit of Coche-Dury. Having worked for the Importer 35 years ago, when demand was not that high, we had good access to the wines. Also, travelling to France each year and being able to buy off wine lists at fair prices has led to some wonderful vinous experiences. Up until now, we had never been able to jag a visit to the Domaine, despite writing a letter each year to them for over a decade. We received correspondence that Raphaël Coche would host us for a late Friday afternoon tasting. We were ready. A leisurely lunch at Le Terroir in Santenay was our pre-Coche warm up.
As we drove down the driveway, we gave Jean-François a wave as he tended to something is his shed. Raphaël greeted us warmly and spent a considerable amount of time explaining to us the current philosophy of the Domaine. There is not the same struck match reduction in the recent wines as you would have found in Jean-François’ renditions and usage of new oak has been toned down. There is the same care and attention to detail in the vineyards, and healthy fruit is harvested at optimal ripeness. There is still structure and build to these wines, from the Aligoté right through to the Corton-Charlemagne and they age effortlessly at a snail’s pace in the cellar.
We worked our way through the splendid 2022’s and finished with a cheeky little 2005, just for a Friday afternoon knock-off drink.
2022 Coche-Dury Bourgogne-Aligoté: Pure, rich and textural. Nice shape and cut with lemon flavour. Balanced and chewy.
2022 Coche-Dury Bourgogne Blanc: Intense white peach fruit on the nose and in the mouth. Rich and layered and possesses a touch of spice. Plenty of great material here and drinks well above its level.
2022 Coche-Dury Meursault: Some smoky mineral notes and loads of sappy orchard fruits. Rich and layered with great presence in the mouth. The finish has plenty of chalky dry extract and is persistent.
2022 Coche-Dury Puligny-Montrachet Les Enseignères : A very fine nose of citrus blossom, white peach and aniseed. The palate is relatively compact for now, with great acid drive. It has chew and is very long.
2022 Coche-Dury Meursault Les Rougeots: An aroma that is already generous and accessible. Spice laden white peach and freshly cut pear. Some almond butter. Full and silky. Great underlying chalky chew just below the flesh. Minerally acid cut. Built like red wine and length to burn.
2022 Coche-Dury Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières : The scent of honeysuckle greets the nose. It has flinty mineral things and exquisite white peach fruit. There’s a gentle nuttiness too. It is delicate yet powerful, unctuous through the mid and such great drive through the finish. It leaves a spicy calling card.
2022 Coche-Dury Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières : The nose is a little shy for now. The palate is dense, explosive and sappy. There’s so much chalky build and fruit intensity. Everything is working along a narrow channel for now but its all there. The finish is painfully intense, and length is phenomenal. If the cork does its job this is a 30–40-year wine!
2022 Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne, Grand Cru : A nose of white flowers, preserved lemon, white peach and fennel. The wine hits the palate and then bang! It has such intensity and focus. Sappy orchard fruits gather around a high tensile mineral spice. It delivers a flavour hit to every crevice of the mouth then draws in to a singular chalky point, before powering on. So much size but such great proportion and balance.
2022 Coche-Dury Meursault Rouge: It smells of fresh strawberries and cherry. The palate has good flesh and cherry stone coolness. There’s a cassis note with air. Plenty of flavour here.
2022 Coche-Dury Auxey-Duresses Rouge: This comes off two parcels. It is very mineral, with some chalk dust and flint mixing it up with ripe berry fruits. It is a wine of sinewy muscle and good focus. The finish has plenty of dry extract.
2005 Coche-Dury Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières : A nose of heady blossom, ripe peach, struck match and toast. The palate is full and layered and has such a silky feel. There are all sorts of fruit, spice and saline mineral things and the wine is right in the zone. The finish has such wonderful persistence and energy, and each sip invites another.