Domaine Maume

Bertrand Maume has been at the helm of Domaine Maume in Burgundy since 1991 in succession to his father Bernard. The wines are still recognisably in the same style, though perhaps the firmness of the tannins has been ameliorated by slightly fuller fruit. Almost every year there is a technical modification to improve quality, whether it be a pneumatic press (1999) sorting table (2001) or destalking the grapes without crushing (2005). The grapes are now cooled before the fermentation gets under way, spending three to four weeks in the vats with both punching down and pumping over. The wines are then matured for up to 22 months without racking and they are neither fined nor filtered before bottling.
 
The Maumes see their wines falling into two groups: Etelois, Champeaux and Charmes are pretty and succulent, thus requiring oak from Jupilles or Troncais in the hands of coopers who specialise in finesse. En Pallud, the 1er cru cuvee and Mazis-Chambertin have more rugged frames and need the firmer hand of Nevers wood from (e.g.) Berthomieu. while Lavaux is between the two, tending one way or the other according to vintage.
 
Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru                                        0.17
Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru                                               0.67
Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Champeaux                   0.27
Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux St Jacques               0.29
Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru (Cherbaudes, Perrière)       0.32
Gevrey-Chambertin En Pallud                                              0.66
Gevrey-Chambertin Etelois                                                   0.31
Gevrey-Chambertin                                                                 1.40
 
Gevrey-Chambertin En Pallud
A small rectangle of vineyard below Les Corbeaux, next to Clos Prieur and only spitting distance from grand cru Mazis-Chambertin. The vines were planted in the 1940s, though many had to be replaced after the frost of 1985. This is a generous, big-hearted Gevrey-Chambertin that repays keeping.
 
Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru
From Mazis-Bas. This is a tight, lean, savoury wine in youth that opens out to give extra dimensions with ten years bottle age: minerals, menthol, liquorice notes more than fresh fruit or flowers. It succeeds admirably in hot vintages such as 1976 or 2003.