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Domaine Chandon des Briailles

This estate has enjoyed a purple patch over the last decade. Once overlooked by cognoscenti, their take on classically styled Burgundy is now very much in vogue. François and Claude de Nicolay were just ahead of the game! “The only stress was in June during the storms that caused some oïdium pressure, especially with the whites,” Claude de Nicolay tells me. “We use skimmed milk to counter that instead of sulfur – it is preventative and curative. We have done this for ten years. We now use four horses to plow all vineyards and maintain grass between the vines and no longer use tractors. We use a caterpillar [Cheniette] that you have to steer from behind and weighs less than 400kg.”

“There was no mildew pressure in 2022. We find that the older vines react much better to the dry conditions than younger vines because their roots are much deeper and grafted onto the right rootstock [e.g., not 161-49, which is prone to degeneration]. It was a great vintage with similar picking dates to 2023, the whites end of August and reds in the first week of September. We picked early in the morning because of the heat and stopped at midday, though there were not really any dried berries [to eradicate]. Yields were similar to 2017, around 38hL/ha. We like to have a little bit of stock. There was no problem with the fermentation; everything is with 100% whole bunches, vinified in troconic wooden vats, apart from three cuvées in concrete. I like this because you don’t need to interfere with the wines and temperatures increase gradually and naturally, staying warm to maintain thermic balance. This enables a gentle fermentation [in 2021, they had to heat the vats a little as temperatures were cooler in October.] We do a half-carbonic pre-fermentation, an intra-cellular reaction that enhances aromatics and helps extract color and fruit. We are getting used to warm vintages now. Doing less plunging and gentle pumping over. We have to help the yeast get some oxygen. In 2022, the level of nitrogen in the soil was good enough to feed the yeast. Alcohol levels are between 13% and 14%, but no higher than that. There was no intervention until malo, though some barrels risked some VA, so we had to add some SO2 to those. The Premier Crus are raised in 10% new oak, and the Grand Cru, 20%. Most of the reds have just been racked, and they will be bottled in a month after time in stainless steel. We use nettle infusion, adding nitrogen to the lees.”

Tasting the wines directly after those of Domaine Bize, one can easily draw parallels, not least their strategy in the vineyard and use of 100% whole bunches. Perhaps the only significant difference is the modest use of new oak here. But what they do have in relation is a roster of wonderful 2022s that bolster the reputation of Savigny-lès-Beaune. It is too often overlooked, but you could argue it benefits from global warming. Whereas not so long ago, the vines struggled to achieve ripeness in cooler microclimates, nowadays, they may occupy the perfect spot in the Côte d’Or. Their Corton-Bressandes and Clos-du-Roi epitomize classical, transparent Pinot Noir imbued with complexity and poise. In Savigny, I admire their Aux Fournaux, although their over-achiever has to be a wonderful Pernand-Vergelesses Ile de Vergelesses.

From Now, For My Latest Trick: Burgundy 2022 (Jan 2024) by Neal Martin

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2022 Pernand-Vergelesses Ile de Vergelesses 1er Cru

Color: Red

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