Marsannay

I've been hearing increasingly good things of Marsannay, the northernmost appellation of the Côte de Nuits. So, before stopping at Morey-St-Denis for the night, we paid a visit to a couple of domaines in the village, guided by the ever-reliable Bill Nanson.

First up was Domaine Olivier Guyot, where we tried the Bourgogne Rouge and the Marsannay Les Favières. It was snowing outside and the cellar was very cold, which meant that the wines were definitely on the chilly side. The cold temperature masked the tannins and meant fruit was the dominant sensation when tasting. That aside, these were both very pleasant wines.

Bourgogne Rouge, 2010 (€9)
A darker colour than I expected with a deep purple core. The nose was very fruity, almost gamay-esque but also with some interesting Pinot complexity. The palette was initially voluptuous with plums and blackberries but short lived and gave way to a refreshing acidity and a short finish. It seemed odd that sensations of fruit and acidity weren't simultaneous and so separated. Nonetheless, this is a good wine, especially for the price, and there's plenty going on here to make you want to go back for more. The wine comes from the northern section of the Champforey vineyard in Marsannay itself. Olivier explained that Champforey is principally for pinot noir destined for either Bourgogne or Marsannay rosé. 2* 7/ 10

Marsannay, Les Favières, 2010 (€14.50)
Very similar to the Bourgogne but with more depth at all levels and a more seamless palette. Olivier makes reference to this being made from young vines. I think he is modest referring to 25-30 year old vines as 'jeunes'...

"Issu de jeunes vignes (25-30 ans) situées en bas de coteaux… Une robe rubis, brillante, un nez délicat, légèrement épicé (cannelle, vanille). Le terroir est bien marqué par sa finesse et son grain particulier. Bon équilibre et persistance en bouche. À boire dans sa jeunesse..."

Next up was Domaine Bruno Clair, where the welcome was as cold as the weather outside. Having tried to book a dégustation in advance, I was informed that I could only turn up and buy pre-ordered wine, and promptly leave. Had this domaine not had such a good reputation I wouldn't have bothered, but I couldn't resist buying their jewel in the crown, Savigny-les-Beaune 1er Cru La Dominode (€46), as well as some Bourgogne Blanc and Marsannay Rosé (which, like most rosé tastes pretty non-descript). Nonetheless, I look forward to opening the La Dominode in about five years time...

"Les vieilles vignes donnent un vin d'une richesse et d'une puissance peu commune en Côte de Beaune. 

La Dominode fait partie du premier cru Les Haut-Jarrons. C'est en fait le coeur de ce lieu-dit. Les rendements y sont naturellement faibles mais réguliers à cause de l'âge vénérable des ceps centenaires. L'exposition à l'est est idéale et la terre est un mélange de cailloux et d'argiles.

Je vinifie la Dominode depuis 1979 et il s'agit sans doute de la vigne la plus constante du domaine : rendements toujours faibles et belle maturité des raisins. La qualité de l'encépagement et l'âge [vines planted in 1902!] de celui-ci contribue à cette constance. 

Il y a bien sûr des variations annuelles apportées par les millésimes et le climat de ces derniers, mais l'amplitudedes variations y est moindre qu'ailleurs. La robe est toujours soutenue, les tannins sont pleins et riches.

C'est un vin qui demande toujours quelques années de vieillissement (souvent plus de 10 ans) avant de le déguster. Vin de grande garde."