Every now and then one comes up with an idea so great that it’s impossible to let go of it. For me it was buying all the 2021 Morgon Corcelette wines I saw in front of me (online) to see which producer did the best. Now four wines is by no means all and at least Desvignes would need to be included too. As such, I warmly welcome others to share their experiences of these and other 2021 Morgon Corcelettes but I kindly ask that you stay on topic as the forum is flooded with general Morgon talk already
First up is the Bouland and more specifically the ’Sable’ bottling. This was a bit of a bummer as the wine did not turn out all that well and I actually ended up opening the 2021 Dolcetto d’Alba from Elio Sandri too for dinner as the missus said that she was not into the Bouland enough to be drinking it. (The Sandri was pretty dope as they tend to be). A first for me, as mentioned on the note the cork had white mould on it and seemingly also in it to some extent, which makes me wonder whether it might have affected the wine. In the end I have no idea so I’m just going to call it as I see it, ie I did not much enjoy this, the cheapest of the four bottles. Hopefully it only gets better from here.
2021 Daniel Bouland Morgon Corcelette Vieilles Vignes Sable - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Morgon (8.5.2024)
A good amount of white mould on and seemingly also in the otherwise good-looking cork. On the nose plentiful ripe-ish, almost jammy dark fruit, stemmy notes, some bouillon and a minor but weird lactic note. On the palate it is medium-bodied with a nicely rich mouthfeel. While dry and savory it comes off as relatively lush much to my surprise. No lack of structure here as this possesses solid acidity and fine-grained tannins. For the most part it works well but things sort of fall apart on the finish which is warm, jammy and roasted. The aftertaste is simply not nice. Not sure if this is a 100% representative bottle - I asked the retailer about the mould and I reckon their answer will be along the lines of ”it is nothing to worry about”. If that’s the case then my conclusion is that this is just not a wine for me.
Love the idea here. I’m eager to see how the rest of the bottles are.
I haven’t had this exact wine, but the 2021 Bouland I have had ( CDB ‘melanie’ and Chiroubles) has been significantly nicer and a whole lot fresher that your experience sounds. Certainly nothing roasted. Given the nature of 2021 (I think it was difficult and on the colder side), I’d guess something bad happened to your bottle. Could the mould be a sign of seepage due to heat?
The bottle came from a very reputable retailer in Dijon at a time when it was not hot there and definitely not here in Finland as we still have had zero degree (Celsius) mornings here as late as this week . Otto’s guess was that the ”mould” couls be yeast, hard to say for sure. Maybe I’ll need to get a second bottle.
Right, probably not heat then . I hope it’s something bottle related, though I won’t speculate further. It’d be an awful pity if something was amiss with the whole cuvee
There was quite a bit left in the bottle which I kept in the fridge overnight and the wine does seem like it has come together. The finish is more balanced and better defined but overall the profile remains remarkably ripe and dark (it’s very dark in the glass too) with plenty tannin. If this is how this bottling shows in a cool vintage I reckon it could be quite a beast in warmer vintages. As it is now I have no problem appreciating what it has to offer - it’s a well built wine with ripeness and density - but stylistically it’s not what I’m looking for in a Beaujolais. I reckon a lot of people would actually like this wine a ton and I am pretty sure this is a representative bottle indeed. If one likes the style the QPR here is on point, there is nothing in Côte d’Or available this cheap.
Thanks for the follow up notes! Looks like you’ll be the first to know if these characteristics are more site or Bouland derived. I’m sitting on a couple bottles of this cuvee from 2020 so I’ll soon find out just how ripe and burly it can get… I’ll post notes in here when I get around to opening one. I hope the next bottles are more fun!
Interesting experiment - thanks for doing this.
I’m a big fan of Cru Beaujolais and am embarrassed to admit that I didn’t know that Corcelette was a vineyard within Morgon.
I had only tried the Foillard version - obviously superb - before myself but as the opportunity presented itself and I’m really feeling the 2021 vintage I had to go for it. I’m going to add the Desvignes too, for now I only have the 2020 vintage which states a disgraceful 14.5% ABV on the label. Maybe I’ll even try the two vintages side by side to see how different they really are.
Crumbly cork, but the bottle seems sound.
A bit cloudy, hazy red. The nose promises more than the palate delivers at this stage. Herbs, flowers, freshly tilled soil, all kinds of red things, but nothing crunchy here, more like macerated or even cooked fruit, with strawberries leading the way. Soft tannins, mild acidity.
Nothing profound here, pleasant, uncomplicated drinking, not more but also not less. True to its natural roots. Maybe it develops into something more interesting overnight.
I must have some more 21‘s Corcelettes, Hoppenot for sure.
Desjourney won‘t be released for another two years.
Thanks! I enjoyed the 2021 Foillard CdP a ton and definitely have high expectations for the Corcelette as well, crossing my fingers that my bottle provides more excitement.
. Otto’s guess was that the ”mould” couls be yeast, hard to say for sure. Maybe I’ll need to get a second bottle.
. I hope it’s something bottle related, though I won’t speculate further. It’d be an awful pity if something was amiss with the whole cuvee