Domaine Labruyere 2014's and Rouget 2015

Time seems to have flown by as it is over 18 months since I wrote a post entitled - Famille Labruyere a new and exciting relationship. Working with the wines from the three - Domaine Jacques Prieur, Domaine Labruyere and Chateau Rouget, soon to be four with Champagne Labruyere coming soon - estates has been a lot of fun.

This particular tasting was to focus on the Moulin-a-Vent wines from Domaine Labruyere and was very well led by Nicolas Mielly who got the balance between information and passion just right (not always easy!).

A few key dates for Domaine Labruyere.
1850 - The estate started
2001 - They took after the monopole of "Les Clos"
2008 - Edouard Labruyere took over the running of the families wine estates

A run through of some recent vintages was then summed up as follows:
2009 - mature fruits
2010 - Serious
2011 - balanced
2012 - 50% lost...

The 2014 vintage: Budbreak was early, suggesting an early vintage but flowering was about average, beginning early April. Cooler weather in July and August slowed down véraison which started at the end of July. The conditions in July and August, predominantly cooler than average, brought the risk of disease. September, happily, was sunny, hot and dry with higher than average temperatures and very little rain. Picking began on the 11th September, all harvested by hand into small cagettes. The bunches were small, the grapes, big, ripe, healthy and juicy. Harvest lasted 10 days.

A note on scoring... Recently I have been slightly "mucking about" with scoring a few tastings/wines out of 25 rather than 20 as I tend to find that the 16-18 range gets used the whole time when scoring out of 20 and therefore the differentiation is less. I used the 25 point scale for this tasting. There is something of a threshold to the 20 out of 25 level but I feel it is a more useful threshold than the 90 out of 100 mark.

Moulin-a-Vent Coeur de Terroir 2014

This is from a selection of 5 plots, matured 50% in vats 50% in barrel – only 3% of which is new wood. Bottled back in December. Good acidity, lifted, cool red fruits and a slightly ferrous note, a little spice also. Really balanced, strong start. 17/25

Moulin-a-Vent Champ de Cour 2014
Interestingly, this is the only wine where 100% whole bunches are used, lifting the style of a wine which originates from heavy clay. At the estate they often compare this to Clos Vougeot. There is more depth, spice too, some good greener notes of freshness and then a wave of darker more serious fruit. There is good mineral drive and a persistent tension – this warrants patience. 18/25

Moulin-a-Vent Le Carquelin 2014
This is very different in style, after the Champ de Cour. This is from vines on sandy, granite soils, just near the famous windmill. 5-6% new oak, this was first made in 2011 and is 100% de-stemmed. More lifted, almost orange citrus notes. Then depth on the palate, richer texture but less spice showing. More fruit generally as a balance to the iron that is in there. 18+/25

Moulin-a-Vent Clos du Moulin-a-Vent Monopole Domaine Labruyere 2014
A beautiful colour, Le Clos is aged in barrels, 15% of which are new, others 1 to 2 years old – all coming from Domaine Jacques Prieur. These vines are grown on more sandy soils. This is a very "grown up" wine, serious, superbly concentrated with a wonderful texture, complexity and an iron like grip – rather northern Rhône-esque. 20-21/25

It was a very good tasting. I am the first to admit that I had rather dismissed the wines of Beaujolais (much to the frustration of mates in the trade) until I came across these.

It was too good an opportunity not to re-taste the Rouget 2015, last tasted in Bordeaux during this tasting trip.

Chateau Rouget 2015 - 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc with 30% new oak. In 2015 60% of the wine made it to the Grand Vin the remaining 40% being designated as "Le Carillon de Rouget". It is a superb wine, arguably one of the very best value buys of the whole campaign at about £350 a dozen (well I bought it). Rich and full but not without balance it is wine I intend to leave a good while!

Wales 2016 - wine and weather - a picture blog!

Each year as a family we go to Aberaeron in West Wales (about 15 miles south of Aberystwyth) for a week of relaxation - eating, drinking and the odd walk along the way.

A few previous visits are documented below.

Week of wines and the odd cigar in Wales 2012

Wines in Wales 2014

Piedmont evening in Wales 2015

This year I have decided that a little like the rent trip to Bordeaux to taste the 2015's it would be best covered in pictures.

A few things to get us through the week! 

Lovely pairing from the South of Burgundy - serious people doing some great things! 

En Famille! 

I am drinking and loving a lot of Roty at the moment - so good!

The harbour with the Harbourmaster (Lilac on the left) doing a roaring trade...

The old German magnum fridge problem! 

There was some celebrating to do, this was lovely, not overly dry, nice!

Drinking well straight "off the bat"  

Charlie and both his "Pa's"!!

We had such amazing weather!! 

There's  a ski rack under there somewhere but hey Skis and Kayas are the same? 

Pre-Lunch prep…Cannubi just "beat" the Brunate, Phelan out performed the "Dame".. 

We started with this…for me Les Lys just pipped it but it was close...

Cynan's brilliant beef!

Homemade baklava 

So hot that the reds saw ice water too!

Moping up the leftovers the next day…Armens 2003 in a good place!

Up above Aberarth

A waiter one day?

Cracking pair, Cuvee Speciale '11 is a gem…Conterno is Conterno...

The last evening

Looking forward to next year already!!

So…2015...

I haven't done any form of "awards" since 2011 but for some reason I thought it might be fun this year.

Tasting of the Year: There have been several glorious candidates but it has to go to this one 10 Vintages of Romanee-Conti it was a tasting that I will certainly never get to repeat in a glorious setting.

Restaurant of the year: No shocks here at all, it has to be Zucca. I'll miss it so very much. I do feel I need to mention Kitchen W8 which has produced some cracking food and has a nice atmosphere and attitude to wine. It is such a shame that it is not more conveniently sited (for me).

Wine trip of the year: This was not difficult either, it has to be Piedmont 2015 with a rather splendid group of chaps. Piedmont really is somewhere every wine lover should go. I had to pull out of a trip to Port country which was a shame. I really want to go there.

Winery of the year: So for all those who assumed this was a "Shoe in" for Giacomo Conterno, and really that is still No.1 for me, a little surprise as Case Basse / Soldera just pips it to this years "title". It is such a great place to visit and Gianfranco is simply wonderful.

Birthdays and sad days: There have been some wonderful meals to celebrate birthdays this year:

Double birthday bonanza

Jordi is 40

Irish goes into his 50th year

At the same time it was so very sad to lose Anne-Claude Leflaive - whose wines I continue to love.

Meal of the year: I've gone a bit corporate here by choosing "All aboard the Cutty Sark" but it was such a special (unique) evening shared with lots of customers who have become friends.

Wine discovery of the year: I think that as a region it has to be the Rhone thanks to a holiday down there and the fact that I just love more and more of the wines (Hartley you still won't get me to like Condrieu). But as a single producer it might have to be Flavio Roddolo in Barolo. A very notable mention to Domaine Labruyere in Moulin-a-Vent for converting me to the joys of Cru Beaujolais. Even an opinionated old fool like me can have their mind changed.

Quote of the year: Not one I had heard before and I probably apply it to Negronis rather than martinis but "One martini is all right. Two are too many, and three are not enough." from James Thurber

Sportsperson of the year: This is a shared award for two similarly brilliantly indestructible sports people who have both spent ages at the top of very tough sports. Both made their names or initials only mean one person so the nod goes to AP and Richie or Sir AP McCoy and Richie McCaw to use full names. Both have retired and both will be missed but at the same time it is wonderful to see them walk away in good health.

Personal sports highlight: This is an easy one. I had always wanted to play rugby in the same team as my son Charlie but due to too many bangs on the head (I never had enough brain cells to start with so have to be careful) I had to stop at 36 and so we missed out on that. But this year I have gone back to playing Hockey, which I love and thoroughly recommend, and now Charlie and I play in the same team. (He has more assists, I've scored more goals as I keep reminding him).

I am not sure who has appeared most on the blog this year but to all those who have contributed - Nobby/Halifax, Irish, Mr Magnum, Newcastle, Henley, Jordi, Ronaldinho, Chewy, Fiscali, Very duty bottles, Geronimo, Raw, Vestier, JuJu, Barolo Guru, Jazz Hands, Manski, Masterofwine - and many many more thank you so much for the bottles and the laughs! To colleagues and producers everywhere the very same thanks!

Same again in 2016?

Famille Labruyere - a fair few notes...

I am really late in posting this, it is a series of notes from back in January and follows on from Famille Labruyere - New and Exciting...

Domaine Jacques Prieur and Domaine Labruyère - Tasting Thursday 22^nd January

Domaine Labruyere, Moulin-a-Vent

Le Clos (Monopole) 2013
Stoney fruit but then some lovely deep spices, not aggressive, more the Christmas spices – cinammon, cloves - and  with dark coloured fruit but not black, like serious dark cherry. Long too…

Le Carquelin 2013
Redder but still dark and intense, closed, quite taut structure, but there is a fresh finish – not heavy…fruit lingers well, will be a lovely food wine in 2-3 years.

Domaine Jacques Prieur, Burgundy

Rouges
Beaune 1^er Cru Grèves 2013
In colour this is quite arterial for Beaune. A lovely sweetness, a good grip, some nice sweet cherry but not dark cherry fruit, really lovely, balanced bold and volumptous with no lack of proper fruit. Long but fresh.

Beaune 1^er Cru Clos de la Féguine 2013
May be a shade more refined than the Greves, or more feminine I can’t decide, real elegance but there is a firm and proper structure also, very red fruited with good persistance and lift to the finish. Plays to the strength of the vintage.

Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2013
Real vibrancy, has a lovely energy, very crimson, very lifted not a black monster that Vougeot can be…really lovely, vibrant is the word.

Musigny Grand Cru 2013
Has wonderful texture, again there is a vibrant red fruit but then a slight strictness…this has a lot of parts and at the minute they are tightly wound up, no rough edges at all, depth and layers.

Blancs
Beaune 1^er Cru Grèves 2013
Slight saline, seaside note to this, briney but with lemon shortbread fruit lurking, it is quite bold and very expressive in a coiled up sort of way…promising.

Beaune 1^er Cru Clos de la Féguine 2013
A little more intense (texturally) and muted at the same time, a little less extrovert, the fruit is a little more green, not a negative, the acidity a little higher…it has real balance though, very long.

Meursault Clos du Mazeray (Monopole) 2013
Has a really lovely lively sweet attack, immediately generous and quite rich…has a vibrant acidity also, the fruit is not quite tropical but it is bold, "heart on sleeve"…will give a lot of joy.

Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes 2013
Lovely saline, a little bit of grapefruit but with sugar on so there is no astrigency, this is dense but fresh, serious also…very long and moreish, really refreshess and wakes up the mouth…impressive.

Montrachet Grand Cru 2013
Very primary, very intense, there is white fruit as well as a generosity, the palate is very long and complex, quite savoury to the finish, there is an element of the sea about the finish which is fresh but also appetising, will really reward patience.

Then the same evening we did a Dinner at 1 Thomas More Street to show some older vintages of the wines. The winemaking has been tweaked, less oak and battonage for whites and less oak and extraction for reds, since most of these were made so the fact they showed so well is a testament to the brilliant holdings. In all honesty the only other Domaine in Burgundy that has a similar spread of Grand Cru sites is Domaine Leroy.

We started with Beaune 1 er Cru Grèves 2010 as an aperitif  The generosity of Beaune with the intensity of 2010, a good combination, there is a great depth and a soft citrus warmth.

Meursault Clos de Mazeray 2003 

I do not think anyone would have got this as 2003 were it served blind. There is a savoury texture but enough sweetness on the tongue to make this work, good length, it worked well with the slightly smoked salmon. Like I find in late disgorged Champagnes I noted a little coffee or mocha on the nose, just a note of maturity.

Puligny-Montrachet 1^er Cru Les Combettes 2010
A star this wine, classily reserved, very much about the texture and the minerality but with no lack at all of a lift of fruit that will reveal itself more over the coming years. Lovely now with immense potential. 

Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2006
Edouard noted how this has the reputation as the "bad guy" of the domaine. There was little evidence of this here as the wine showed well, youthful? yes and from a good, if uncompromising, vintage. As much as 30% full bunches was used. There is a masculinity  but a dense purity as well. It is not crazy to drink now but for sure there is more to come in another 5-10 years and thereafter...

Musigny Grand Cru 2007
Prieur own 0.8 hectares or 10% of Musigny in the southern part – petit Musigny. This is a really beautiful, almost delicate Musigny, orange rind and lifted red fruits really make a striking impression, very true to the purity you can find in 2007 when handled sensitively, this will go on well for quite some years but such is the life you feel compelled to drink it now…splendid

Montrachet Grand Cru 1999
The Prieur plots, there are two, one running each way, are on the Chassagne side, to the left is DRC, Leflaive and Lafon then to the right Bouchard. In 1999 Edouard commented that they had to pick earlyish to avoid a wine that was too big. This was very fine indeed with that Montrachet opulence and decadence…in a lovely place right now, still with a slghtly over ripe lemon acidity but then a generosity that makes you want to wallow in it…

I am massively excited about working wiith these wines in the future, the Burgundies are superb and of a great style. The Moulin-a-Vent is totally new on me as I have been no great lover of Gammay but as its often quoted by those in the region this is not "Gamay" this is "Moulin-a-Vent"...

Famille Labruyere...a new and exciting relationship...

Edouard

...New contacts and relationships in the wine world come about in different ways and take different lengths of time to come to fruition (when they do!). "Gestation" can be anything from weeks to years, decades even...every one is different.

They often result from a chance comment being well followed up. Famille Labruyere and Corney & Barrow is an example of exactly that. Headed and driven by the Family's 6th Generation - Edouard - Famille Labruyere comprises four estates.

Domaine Labruyère

(Moulin-a-Vent)

Domaine Jacques Prieur

(Burgundy)

Château Rouget

(Pomerol)

Champagne Labruyère
(Verzenay)

Following at least four different meetings, tastings, dinners - in Bordeaux, then Burgundy and then London we got the "nod" not long before Christmas - very good news. It takes time because it has to work for three main parties - producer, merchant and most importantly the customer. A link to an official press release is HERE. That's enough background, the wines:

The tasting below took place for the whole team. Champagne Labruyere is the newest of the estates and will be tasted later in the year. The tasting was hosted by both Edouard and winemaker Nadine Gublin. 

Domaine Labruyere then Domaine Jacques Prieur

Domaine Labruyère - Moulin-a-Vent  Website
The oldest estate in Moulin-a-Vent, the most northerly and serious of all the Crus of Beaujolais. Yields are kept very low at around 28hl/ha when they can by law be as high as 58hl/ha. In terms of winemaking the clusters are 100% de-stemmed and very little new oak is used, some barrels from Domaine Jacques Prieur are used. The tasting was from a spread of vintages but it is interesting to note that Edouard commented of 2013 that it was a "late harvest with big wines, built more for the future".

Moulin à Vent Grande Cuvée 2012 bottled Jan 2014
2012 was a small crop, made with logically small yields, the harvest was around the 10th/12th of September.

Red/black fruit with stoney minerals and a lovely crunch to the nose, freshness, quite bold, persistent, depth, berry fruit all the way, there is a graphite and stones scenario…very balanced, serious but starting to be approachable.

Moulin à Vent Le Carquelin 2011 bottled march 2013

Le Carquelin is a 45 year old site, shared with Jadot, on a light soil. This 2011 was harvested on 30^th August with good ripeness. “One of the best vintages, balance of the power of 2009 with acidity of 2010” says Nadine.

Blacker deeper fruit, more grip, delicious, balanced, nothing over the top, has a good length, a little more wood, only 10% new, very good length of mulberry fruit, long, good. Very complete.

Le Clos du Moulin à Vent 2011 (bottled April 2013)
Edouard describes this wine as “Fort Knox”, it is a monopole of 0.92 hectares with vines of 70 years of age and more, graphite and sand, very defined terroir (south facing). 15 % New oak. Good rich chewy red fruit, real crunch, some rhubarb, has depth, blacker, warmer - fruit, delicious but also serious, Long and persistent. Very age-worthy.

The three wines really give you a sense of the seriousness of the estate, there is a lovely balance between the savoury and the fruited.

Domaine Jacques Prieur DJP Website

This Domaine has an unbelievable breadth of holdings: 21 hectares with 9 Grand Crus, 13 Premier Cru and 2 Lieu dits. The Cote de Beaune wines have been bio-dynamic since 2009 not that this appears on any labels. The Domaine uses four or five different coopers with very low levels of toast. The wines are always racked and kept in tank before bottling. The Grand Cru use 75-80% new oak.

A monopole and two Grand Crus

Beaune Clos de La Féguine 1^er cru rouge 2012 (MONOPOLE)

Clos de la Feguine is 1.75 hectares across red and white. South facing, "looking" at Pommard. 2012 was harvested in the middle of September at 20—25 hl/hectare with open wood vats, sorting tables and no pumping, just 25-30% of new oak is used. The wine was then bottled in Feb 2014. Edouard commented that this is the "Most delicate wine we have".

Rich redcurrant and spices on the nose, persistent on the nose a dash of orange rind, proper, quite bold, texture is superb, long, very persistent. Richness and boldness.

Corton Bressandes Grand Cru 2012
Between clay and marne, a blend of terroir. Edouard commented that the ripeness is always good with this wine. The 2012 was bottled in May 2014.

Slightly more of an oak framework, lovely nose of airy minerals, very balanced, some orange peel comes through, fruit is more red than you might expect, very good, like this, not dry (which I can find in Corton), long.

Clos Vougeot Grand Cru 2012

The holding here is 1.20 hectares. It is always the last of the DJP wines to be bottled. In this instance July 2014. The site that the Domaine enjoys is very near Ch de La Tour.

Richer, decadently textured, more Christmas cake fruit, depth and power, some sternness too, bold with some drier notes, not exotic. Bold, some rich tannins, long and quite exotic. Blacker fruits, warm earth and tobacco (a little), chewy (in a good way), very Clos Vougeot…

DJP - Whites
It is interesting to note that from 2008 there is no battonage at the Domaine...

Meursault Clos de Mazeray (MONOPOLE) 2012

This is the only "lieu dits" wine in the the Domaine's line-up. Three hectares (2.75 ha is planted to Chardonnay,0.25 ha to Pinot Noir) at the southern edge of Meursault, under 1er Cru Poruzot, this is a wine of richness. In the production process; big vats and also 1-2 years old barrels get used a lot.

Exotic, rich fruits and full, has a saline note (reminiscent of a delicate Lowland Whisky) that comes from the youth. This will be yeasty in time, pears and peaches comes through, some aniseed, salty notes. Good length, Generous. Hedonistic.

Puligny-Montrachet 1^er Cru Les Combettes 2012

From the middle of the slope facing east. Many stones, it can be very hot in summer. Edouard noted that one has to be especially careful with the harvest date on this site. They pick early for the freshness. It is the last parcel at the north of Puligny near Meursault-Charmes. The wine sees 100% Barrels, 30% new and this was bottled in March 2014 having had two months in tank before bottling. Again the lowland whisky note, salt and air, a ripe brineyness, more focus and elegance than the Clos de Mazeray, really very persistent and long, very balanced, rich and really well Handled. (I have had this again since and been very very impressed).

Montrachet Grand Cru 2012

Bottled July 2014. The holdings are 0.6 of the 8 hectares. DJP have two sections, one planted each way (with the slope and across it). The racking and bottling dates are so imperative. Edouard noted they are very often the same date as DRC for picking…

Text book high tones of Montrachet, that decadent almost botrytis-like, a tiny dash of brine but the natural richness rides this. So long and with beautiful nuts (hazelnuts) on the middle of the tongue, a rich texture also, hedonistic, no reduction, very fine indeed, bold also, so "Montrachet"

The notes here on DJP are very consistent with my observations from other tastings.

Château Rouget Website

Famille Labruyere bought Rouget in 1992. Edouard’s first vintage was 2008. They plant in a high density and generally the viticulture is organic with four hectares being bio-dynamic. Almost uniquely 30% of full bunches are used. The blend is a conventional 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc. There are only 2 rackings in 18 months and the blend is done before the Malolactic fermentation. From 2008 there has not been a green harvest. They are one of the last to pick in Pomerol. As a note the 2014 is 38hl/ha.

We had a mini tasting.

2008 
A vintage "saved" by a good September.

I found this to be in a slightly awkward phase, not strange with for an adolescent Bordeaux. On the nose it was slightly stewy, a little bit developed. Some leather then some red fruit, quite old school, longer and fresher on the palate than the nose. Some iodine and a slightly ferrous blood-like core, does have freshness but not loads of it. Will be interesting to re-visit.

2007
A late vintage, hot summer, lots of rain too, large volume.

This is fresher, less dense, bright and red, then the palate is lower of acidity, drink now, lovely, bright and fresh. This is not serious but it is really enjoyable.

2005
"Vintage of the century a bit like ever year" was Edouard's amusing verdict.
Blackcurrant, rich and deep, serious, a little spice, very good palate, smooth but balanced and substantial, some truffle, dark, good concentration and grip but not too much. Really liked this.

And that...as they say, is that...wines true to their regions and most importantly - exciting...