William Whitehead was in good spirits as we lobbed at Domaine Michel Rebourgeon, despite vintage 2024 yields being down around 2/3rds. What he has turned out is superb. This is a young man who it completely in tune with his vineyards and how to express the resultant fruit with a light hand. He did a severe selection at harvest, and these are special wines. He and his mum Delphine were kind enough to taste through the full range of ‘24’s with us, including a few very smart new négoce offerings. These two are quality people who we admire as producers and have become good friends with.
The red were all de-stemmed in 2024. The idea was for them to spend less time in vat and there was less pigeage.
2024 Maison Michel Rebourgeon Bourgogne Blanc: Fruit taken from the bottom of Pommard. Fresh white peach and grapefruit. Nice acid drive. A touch of spice from 20% new oak.
2024 Maison Michel Rebourgeon Saint-Romain Blanc: From a parcel of La Perrière of 45 years of age. Two barrels only. White flowers and lemon. Some flintiness too. Goof fruit and acid balance. Excellent mineral tension.
2024 Maison Michel Rebourgeon Rully: 5 barrels only. Off a 35-year-old vineyard. Beautiful white peach and lemon fruits. Great shape and a big squeeze of grapefruit to the finish.
2024 Domaine Michel Rebourgeon Bourgogne Côte d’Or: Just racked and not in bottle yet. Plum and cherries with some rose petal. Lovely balance. Stony coolness. Some Volnay in the blend this year.
2024 Maison Michel Rebourgeon Maranges 1er Cru Les Clos Roussots : Just 1200 bottles made. Cherry, white flowers and flint. Very mineral. Some astringency and a finish of chalky chew.
2024 Domaine Michel Rebourgeon Beaune 1er Cru Chouacheux: Generous and giving with a core of fleshy sweet red berries. Some engaging dried flower scent and a hint of earth. Excellent mineral cut. 3 barrels only.
2024 Domaine Michel Rebourgeon Volnay 1er Cru Les Brouillards: This vineyard yielded only 400L in 2024. What is gave is very good. Delicious red cherries. Limestone mineral detail. Rose petals and spice. Great balance and energy.
2024 Domaine Michel Rebourgeon Volnay 1er Cru Carelle Sous la Chapelle : Purple flowers and purple fruits. So much engaging perfume. Sweet and velvety through the palate. Finishes with mineral detail and expansion. Just two barrels.
2024 Maison Michel Rebourgeon Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes: Quite floral. A simple fruit profile compared to the Domaine wines. Some ginger spice.
2024 Domaine Michel Rebourgeon Pommard Les Trois Terroirs : 3 barrels made. Ripe plum and raspberry fruits. Juicy in the mouth. Nice flesh and chew. Really lovely.
2024 Maison Michel Rebourgeon Pommard Les Vaumuriens: Good mineral freshness. Cherry and red berry fruits. Mid-weight and relatively supple.
2024 Domaine Michel Rebourgeon Pommard Les Perrières: A vineyard planted in 1925 and worked by horse because it is steep. William has converted half the vineyard to higher trellising and is already noticing the healthiness of the fruit that has resulted from this change. This ’24 has good concentration for the vintage and is dark and penetrating. There’s a lusciousness through the mid and engaging florals. It has good mineral tension and expansion.
2024 Domaine Michel Rebourgeon Pommard Les Noizons: 1942 planted and yielding just 2.5 barrels in ’24. Dark cherry and plum along with sarsaparilla root notes. Fleshy in the mouth. Good build and underlying grip. Excellent persistence.
2024 Domaine Michel Rebourgeon Pommard 1er Cru Les Arvelets: Again, the vineyard here is worked by horse. Intense blue fruits laden with floral spices. Layered, rich, expansive and long. So much wine here and very good.
2024 Maison Michel Rebourgeon Pommard 1er Cru Les Grands Épenots: 4 barrels made from purchased grapes. Sweet and generous. Good volume and mouthfeel. Some stoniness under the flesh.
2024 Domaine Michel Rebourgeon Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens: One 350L barrel only. Some smoky mineral notes along with red and black fruits. Rich and deep yet light on its feet. Great balance and drive. Outstanding mineral detail and a finish that fans right out and powers on.
Disclaimer: We have been importing these wines into Australia for several years.