It’s the start of July, so time to take stock…

Last week it was super hot, with temperatures that are usually reserved for August. This week it’s ‘quite’ warm. What rain was in the last days’ forecast for the Côte d’Or hardly materialised, and the prognosis for the next two weeks is largely dry and getting hotter again – but for some light relief, at least the nights are forecast to be cooler…

So the domaines are mostly trying to avoid any stress for the plants. Few are ploughing or even moving the soil right now as the soil will dry out faster, and likewise, the trimming of the vines has been significantly curtailed to avoid ‘stress.’ So far, there’s no indication of ‘blocking’ in the vast majority of soils, just a few yellowing leaves on flat gravelly (draining) soils or very stony soils without much earth (right)…

As for the Côte d’Or hail of Wednesday 17th June, significantly hit were Beaune to Pommard, and hail cannons were not used as the storms ‘came from the wrong direction(!)‘ The insurance assessors were in the vines during the last week of June, as much as 30% losses were forecast – but today, 30% ‘of what’ is the fair question. The effect should be less in the pinots, but there was already some coulure in the whites of Beaune, so it could be a ‘real’ 30% here. Then this week (Sunday evening), multiple violent storms came through Beaujolais, mainly bringing some much-needed water, but hail came too. There was some significant damage on the hill of the Côte de Brouilly and the nearby valley of Brouilly Saburin… Too early to say for sure, but vigneron(ne)s are suggesting 60-80% losses, see the images…

Back to the Côte d’Or, Frederic Mugnier told me yesterday, “I’m surprised how the vines currently look – they look fine – but I don’t like this period of heat, we need rain, but there’s nothing in the forecast. The vines looked great 1 week ago and will still be great if we get some rain.”

And where are we in terms of maturity?

Well, already in the last days of June, there were photos of the first (red) veraison – potentially the earliest in a sequence of very early vintages. Assuming no blocking to retard maturity, the crémants will already be harvesting around 7 August and the still whites only a week later, then the first (young) reds only a few days later – but it’s usually the case that the combination of heat and dryness causes the process of maturity to stall and is usually ‘unlocked’ by events of rain…

“The season is clearly ahead of schedule. We have compared 2026 to other great early-ripening vintages—often characterised by heat and dry summers: with mid-flowering on May 24 and bunch closure around June 20–22, it is hard not to recognise the hallmarks of an exceptional season. However, the water deficit since the start of the season is among the most severe ever recorded. Also noteworthy is that June temperatures were 4.4°C above the 30-year average.
Apex Vineyard Consulting”

The hail on the Côte de Brouilly, Sunday 28th June:

If you are looking for upmarket accommodation, there are two new options within minutes of Beaune. First, lets start with Beaune:

Domaine Albert Morot

Wednesday was the official ‘inauguration’ of the Domaine under new ownership and following significant renovations.

It is the husband-and-wife team of Guillaume Poitrinal and Sophie Desmazières-Poitrinal who acquired and renovated this important Beaune property, and not just the property; the winery and the walls of their monopole Savigny 1er cru Clos de la Bataillère (in Vergelesses) have also seen similar treatment.

In the (relatively) short time for renovations here, at least in the glacial timescales of LVMH or Artémis, the work which has been completed still bears comparison with domaines under those marques. The fully air-conditioned mansion-house (the old Château de Creusotte) sports 10 rooms for rent, of course with views over the vines. The impressive kitchen seems shared, but I’m sure that you can bring your own chef! If interested…

I have seldom seen such an assembly of ‘worthies’ of the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits in one place to celebrate the inauguration of another winery – much kudos for that – more people were waiting in the 30+ degree heat of the garden than all of Place Carnot that afternoon!

I will continue to visit and taste the wines of their winery head Jean Pierre Villa who made such a good start with his 2023s…

Hotel Château la Commaraine

Image from the Hotel…

Looking out onto its 3.6 hectare Pommard 1er cru Clos, and after 5 years of construction work, the hotel was finally opened at the end of April. I visited today, and they already had ‘95%’ occupancy.

Integrated into the property’s footprint is the winery of the Commaraine domaine, which covers over 7 hectares – this work should be completed in time for the ‘early’ 2026 vintage…

The château – which dates from the 1100s – now sports 37 rooms and suites, a spa, a swimming pool (a must-have for some visitors) and ‘almost’ two restaurants; the ‘gastronomic’ restaurant will open soon, and the bistro is already in full swing. Paint me impressed !!

Infos here…

2023 Roland Lavantureux, Chablis Vau Renard
Plenty of colour. Depth and ripeness of atoms – I’m not sure that I’d say Chablis, blind. In the mouth though, there’s minerality to balanc the generosity and plenty of salinity too – yes it’s a wine of Chablis, but a generous one…
Rebuy – No

2005 Michel Lafarge, Beaune 1er Grèves
Plenty of colour. The nose is An attractive blend of depth and freshness. Mouth-filling and very wide – framed with slightly drying, young, tannin – but grainless. Finishing flavours with plent of bitters and salinity. What a young wine! I shall continue to enjoy it, whilst mentally noting ‘not for 5 more years’ for the next bottle!
Rebuy – Maybe

Domaine Guilbert-Gillet Acquires Domaine Clos de la Chapelle…

I heard it from 3 sources this week, but now I have it from the horse’s mouth, so:

“Yes, Domaine Clos de la Chapelle has been sold to Domaine Guilbert-Gillet.
He will take over the domaine for the 2026 harvest and beyond and will make wines from those vintages under his own name.
The 2024, 2025 and back stocks will continue to be marketed by us.
We are very happy with this transition and believe that Benjamin is the right person to take over and continue to enhance the quality of the wines from these beautiful appellations.”
Mark OConnell

The tasting room at Henri Gouges was showing a new vintage this week – so why not? 😊

Mainly 2022s, except for the Les St.Georges…

2022 Nuits St.Georges 1er Les Chênes Carteaux
Top of the hill above Les St.Georges etcetera…
Plenty of colour but still transparent. Really open, rounded with a ripe fruit – a little cherry in style but an accent of florals and some herb in that style too. Lovely in the mouth – quite silky and fluid too. The last flavours have plenty of length and a modest touch of bitters. This is already very attractively drinkable.

2022 Nuits St.Georges 1er Clos des Porrets St.Georges
Still a little extra colour. An extra herb – but bouquet-garni – and with a larger scale to this nose, more cherry-stone than cherry, with a small strawberry lift – that’s a great invitation. Extra width, extra flavour energy and complexity too – a big step up in flavour energy here – what an excellent and surprisingly approachable wine. More chalky tannic dryness right at the end – much extra personality after the Chênes. What a simply excellent wine…

2022 Nuits St.Georges 1er Les Pruliers
More powder, high-toned and a little more austere – with air, the aromas are going much deeper. Hmm, the most fluid, and also a little more juicy – some citrus-style bitters – this is more obviously a baby, but I could still drink it. Lovely concentration despite the fluidity. You could carafe and enjoy today, but here I’d wait another 2-3 years…

2022 Nuits St.Georges 1er Les Vaucrains
Another aromatic with excellent scale – powdery, stony fruit here. Hmm, but this is rather an elegant Vaucrains – lots of tannin but also of velour – wow – the first time I tasted a young Vaucrains that’s so approachable – it might be silly to say ‘ready’ – but I would drink this today and certainly ahead of the Pruliers. What an excellent wine…

2022 Nuits St.Georges 1er La Perrière (Blanc)
A generous width of fine citrus, though not overly ripe citrus. A juicy, mouth-watering, palate-cleansing delicious wine. This 22 is still showing some of the textural padding and flavours of the barrel – but it’s delicious with a last twist of tannic dryness on the tongue – chalkiness, as there’s no grain…

Trapet Gevrey 1er Capita

Château de Fleys, Mont de Milieu

2017 Trapet, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Capita
A blend of three 1ers. Not made every year…
An enveloping cushion of fruit and still some vanilla aroma. Like the nose, supple and cushioned – great texture and a slowly mouthwatering stony last flavour. Holding very long. A young wine, and I’d like the vanilla to fade more, but this is still completely delicious…
Rebuy – Yes

2022 Château de Fleys, Mont de Milieu
I was a little late in discovering the wines of this domaine, but here is a fine example of what I’ve been missing! Not all is planted at this time, but this domaine has over 5 hectares in this appellation – I assume that they are the largest owner of Mont de Milieu…
A forward and attractive yellow citrus, ripe but still fresh. Beautiful entry, super-mineral, but also with a width to that stony minerality. A modest ripeness – of the right bank and/or the vintage – but nothing out of place. What a classy Chablis.
Rebuy – Yes