2017 Bourgogne Blanc

As usual, I visited Philippe Charlopin at his winery behind the “Super-U” supermarket. He has a wide-ranging portfolio of wines that necessitates a capacious winery, and he certainly has that here. There is plenty of space to mature his many barrels, his son Yann whizzing around on a forklift during the tasting. Charlopin told me that he started picking on September 6 and that all his wines are de-stemmed.

This is one of the few producers to have a much larger following in the United States than in the UK. I must admit that I found some of the cuvées missing the vivid brightness and energy that are passim this vintage. That might be down to some cuvées that were due for racking, which will open them up; however, I sometimes feel that a more curtailed range would allow Charlopin to focus his attention and elevate quality. I found some of the wines lagging behind their peers, and one or two evidenced some volatility. Still, there are some cuvées that I found promising, not least the Bourgogne Côte d'Or Franc de Pieds from a small patch of ungrafted vines, a very commendable Corton-Charlemagne and an excellent Clos Saint-Denis.