2012 Burgundy: Cote Chalonnaise

17 Jan 2014

Paul JacquesonDureuil-Janthial, Jacqueson, Lumpp, Raquillet

This was the Chalonnaise's year. 2011 was sulky, certainly in terms of quantity. 2012 is flat out brilliant. All I will say is that if you ignore the Chalonnaise in 2012 you are doing your cellar and yourself a disservice. The wines have real zing and drive.

In Rully Marie Jacqueson has a new winery atop the hill overlooking the dojo and playing fields. She and what seems to be a largely female staff have it organised and clean, and unlike the old homestead one, there's room to move. It always helps that almost all the whites had been bottled, so we were dealing with finished wine. The wines were almost revelatory, given that even I have been tasting them for nearly fifteen years. They've had some great vintages recently, but arguably 2012 is the finest fit for the region. Marie has turned into a consummate winegrower and now has the kit and the space to express her vineyards and herself.

We ran into a cheerful Vincent at Dureuil-Janthial. He too was happy about the vintage and racketed about his cellars like the frenetic missile in a pin-ball machine. We tasted the whole range and were highly impressed, whites and reds were harmonious and energetic. In Givry it was almost a shock to be greeted by Francois rather than Isabelle and a greater shock to be talked through in English. But, the Domaine Lumpp wines are magnificent with great balance and stuffing in both red and white.

I like Raquillet's wines. A lot. For one thing, they taste of Mercurey very much, with a hint of garrigue and they also have Francois' stamp. We talk a lot about terroir but in a village more notorious for its rustic producers than its sophisticated ones, Francois is to be treasured. /CW