Chablis’ Satellites: Irancy & Saint-Bris

BY NEAL MARTIN | NOVEMBER 09, 2021

During my week in Chablis, I asked the BIVB if they could gather samples of Irancy for a tasting, which focused mainly on the 2019 and 2020 vintages and was conducted blind. Before discussing the wines, I replicate this primer from my last standalone Irancy report in 2018 as a refresher. 

Irancy’s vines populate an amphitheater that looks down upon the namesake village, the upper reaches given over to cherry orchards whose fruit is whisked up to supply the capital city. The AOC only came into existence in 1998 – a relatively recent arrival on the Burgundy landscape. AOC rules dictate that there are no Premier Crus in Irancy, although one or two vineyards have gained repute, particularly Les Mazelots and La Palotte. Irancy shares the Kimmeridgian limestone soils of Chablis. The south-facing vineyards offer protection from northerly winds and engender a slightly drier microclimate than Chablis. Of course, the major, obvious difference between Irancy and Chablis is that Irancy is red, made almost entirely from Pinot Noir, although authorities permit up to 10% César in the blend. This addition is not without its detractors, who argue that it demeans the nobler Pinot Noir, while others say that it lends a bit of feistiness. How much César is actually contained in blends is not easy to ascertain, since it tends to be complanté with the Pinot Noir. Jean-Hugues Goisot is against its inclusion, though to be honest, I find its influence minimal, just occasionally tweaking the Pinot Noir like Gamay does in a Passetoutgrain. There are only around a dozen or so Irancy-based producers who bottle their wine; others are part of the portfolios of growers outside the village, mainly in Chablis.

Upon returning home and looking over my notes, it was no surprise to find that my highest scores were for Domaine Gabin et Félix Richoux, one of the top growers in Irancy. Richoux’s vineyard in Palotte is absolutely first class. I cannot recommend their 2020 highly enough. Their 2020 Irancy Les Cailles is also a gorgeous wine: a little more structured and austere and, as I remark in my note, more Pommard than Volnay in style. Thierry Richoux is handing over the running of the domaine to his sons Gabin and Félix, and I hope to visit them next time I’m in the region.