Gevrey Chambertin Premier Cru

It was fascinating to taste the 2012 range with Bertrand Maume and his colleagues from Marchand-Tawse, who now assist in the winemaking process since Moray Tawse bought the domaine two years ago. There is still the recognisable, characterful Maume style but some of the inconsistencies of the past have been ironed out. There has been a little more pumping-over to aerate the fermenting vats and thus better manage the reductive aspects of old-style Maume winemaking. 2012 is a lovely vintage here.

It was difficult at the start and difficult at the end but OK in between”, says Nicolas, who began harvesting on 6th October. Younger vines flowered better, giving more volume than 2012, and only the Beaune vineyards were hailed on. There were no grave problems with rot, and they avoided heavy extraction as the colour came easily enough. Nicolas noted that cool vintages such as 2013 are best for terroir definition, and certainly the hallmark of his wines this year is elegance, and precision.

 

The new era at Faiveley is now into its sixth vintage and the house style, which allows the fruit to express itself in a very seductive manner while enhancing the individual qualities of each terroir, has been safely established. Now the management is concentrating on reinforcing their supplybase with some crafty contracts and vineyard purchases in both Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits. We may be able to offer more cuvées in the future, and though opportunities are clearly limited by the 2012 vintage circumstances, we have been well looked after this year.

Louis Boillot seemed remarkably cheerful for a man who has made so little wine this year, the poor flowering taking as much toll as the hail. Most cuvées have slightly more new wood in 2012 because of the shortage of wine, but the concentration of the fruit is easily able to absorb this.