The Burgundy Briefing

news, views and tastings Sarah Marsh MW

Issue 14 November 2012 © copyright Sarah Marsh Ltd

Domaine Chandon De Briailles, Savigny-Lès-Beaune

White Wines

*Pernand-Vergelesses, Ile Des Vergelesses

One part was planted in 1985 and one in '92. A slice from the bottom to the top of the vineyard.

Almost 1 hectare. In tank now. To be bottled soon. Savoury, nutty, mineral aroma. Creaminess

cut with taut acidity. Savoury and saline with a lovely long sappy finish. A proper food wine. I do

like this. Fine. Score 17.75 From 2015

*Corton, Blanc

This is from Bressandes for the main part. This has a higher lemon note coupled with richness of

fruit. Dense, powerful and straight. A muscular white; full and stony with energetic. A very long

assured, powerful and savoury finish. Very fine. Score 19. From 2018

*Corton-Charlemagne

"This is situated in Renardes at the top of the hill near the trees and takes a long time to ripen. The grapes never have rot. Fresh and well drained place. Planted in 1988. Bottled directly from the barrel...yesterday. Picked the last days of harvest about 5th September.”

Upright, reserved, pure and lifted. Taut on the attack. Lighter than the Corton Blanc, bright,

zesty and lively in fruit. Racy energy and elegance. A focused chalky finish. This has a certain finesses. Towards very fine. Score 18.75. From 2017/18.

Red Wines

*Savigny-Lès-Beaune, Aux Fournaux

This has just 15% whole bunch. About to be bottled. Soft and succulent red fruits. Very juicy and

smooth. It glides in a rather languid way over the palate. The freshness comes through on the

finish. Relaxed and accessible wine. A little bit too easy is one is very critical. Francois remarked

that he needed some whole bunch tannin to achieve the freshness in the finish. Good+.

Score 15.25 From 2015.

*Savigny-Lès-Beaune, Les Lavières

Also from tank. The slightly smoky note comes from the limestone. Ripe strawberries on the

aroma too. Quite heady aromatic nose. Yet then more compact and tight on the palate. This has more energy than Fournaux, which I prefer. Fresh and slightly sappy on the finish. Zip on the end of the palate, a little saline. Lots of limestone here, hence the salinity. Particularly good+.

Score 17. From 2016.

*Pernand-Vergelesses, Les Vergelesses

Out of the tank too. "Clay and iron you can see it in the redness of the soil. Surprisingly we get fewer problems here with disease than higher up in Ile, despite the position and deep soil.” Rich and ripe aroma; very succulent. Soft and fluid, quite a thick texture, juicy. The tannins are more robust. There is a slightly earthier note, juicy and earthy. Edge of liquorish. Appealing and easy cru. Very to particularly good. Score 16.75. From 2016.

*Pernand-Vergelesses, Ile Des Vergelesses

3 hectares. This was racked in July and is back in the barrels destined to be racked around

Christmas for bottling December or January. This is tighter on the nose. Intriguing and more

complex aroma. Deeper but slightly floral too. A direct, well clipped palate. Straight and

energetic. Good definition. This is grippier and more refined in the tannin. Cold on the palate.

*Corton, Maréchaudes

Bottled just before the harvest. "Always ripe very early and so we do not like this to go too far in the elevage.” Dark cherry aroma with a touch of husky, exotic spice and marzipan. Very succulent, lower toned palate, soft velvety tannins. A broad, juicy dark and mouth-filling wine. Generous and slightly slumbering, but it does have a more piquant lift to the finish. Fine. Score 18. from 2017

*Corton, Bressandes

Now back in barrels. This is dense but breezy with a slight saline, silex lift to the aroma. It's

elegant, racy and pure. It skims tightly across the palate. Lovely vigour here. Fresh and mineral and dense. An assured and very long finish. A big step up in complexity and length. Towards very fine. Score 18.75 From 2018

*Corton, Clos Du Roi

"This is in the tank as it was more ready than Bressandes. It may be bottled by the end of the year. This is the highest parcel on the hill...next to the hospice de Beaune parcel and is very well drained with old vines and always a very low yield.”

This has a smoky, tight and dark aroma. Rich on the front of the palate, full and juicy and broad. A large wine, plenty of finely hewn muscle - not a whit heavy. It has a lifted elegance with a density and power. The tannins are more sinewy, lithe and present than in Bressandes. It finishes on dark a smoky note. Score 18.75. 2018Good assertive finish with that cold spine and cool ending. Fine. Score 17.75. From 2016