En Primeur | Domaine Chandon de Briailles
The delightful château and its gardens designed by Le Nôtre are a beautiful backdrop for this historic estate, which has been in Nicolay family ownership since 1834. The wines, like the property, have an extraordinary elegance and poise to them. They are impressive without excess. The family can be rightly proud of being one of the frontrunners practicing organic farming from the early 1990s and, since 2005, they have moved across to biodynamic viticulture.
2021 Savigny lès Beaune Aux Fourneaux Chandon de Briailles
£260.00 In Bond £331.24 Inc VAT-
Goedhuis, December 2022
Aromatically the perfect marriage of whole bunch wild strawberry scent and a mass of bright red fruits, with a touch of sloe, from the destalked proportion of the juice. A delicate style, the tannins are incredibly fine, giving a feeling of elegance and the finish gives the impression of thoughtful nuance.
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Neal Martin, January 2023, Score: 88-90
From a mixture of Premier and Village Cru vines, the 2021 Savigny-lès-Beaune Aux Fournaux has quite a floral, fruity nose featuring Morello cherries and crushed strawberries. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins. The whole bunches lend a subtle black pepper note and a bit of flesh around its bones on the finish. Fine. Drink 2024-2033.
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Jasper Morris MW, December 2022, Score: 87-90
This cuvée is made up of two thirds 1er Cru fruit and one third from the village section. Young vines are declassified, the remainder being from a 1956 plantation. 10 hl/ha in 2021 with 50% whole bunch vinification. Glowing purple with some depth. A little bit of blackcurrant. On the palate the core of the fruit wants to be in red berries but with a light chocolatey note and definitely some peppers at the back. Fair length. Drink from 2025-2028.
2021 Savigny lès Beaune 1er Cru Les Lavières Chandon de Briailles
£310.00 In Bond £391.24 Inc VAT-
Goedhuis, December 2022
This fine vineyard was planted in 1956 and the domaine has a peach of a location mid-slope, facing south and southeast. A perfume of violet and mountain berries. Such a gracious and sensual style, with a charming volume of plumpness and richness and a soft sweetness on the finish. Delicious.
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Neal Martin, January 2023, Score: 89-91
From southerly-exposed slopes (though the vines are orientated east), the 2021 Savigny-lès-Beaune Les Lavières 1er Cru has a simple but fairly perfumed nose with mulberry, cranberry and hints of brown spice. The palate is medium-bodied with chalky tannins. The 2021 is harmonious with a mixture of red plum, white pepper and thyme towards the finish. What a lovely Savigny-les-Beaune. Drink 2024-2034.
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Jasper Morris MW, December 2022, Score: 88-91
50% whole bunch vinification. Now racked for bottling in November. Darkish purple. Why does the first sniff remind me of Bordeaux? Just a fleeting thought before the real bouquet starts to come out. Rich cherry with a blacker edge, while Claude suggests violets. Still, there is something slightly green underneath, adding a mild astringency. A little more weight than Fourneaux, medium persistence. Drink from 2025-2028.
2021 Pernand Vergelesses 1er Cru Ile des Vergelesses Chandon de Briailles
£395.00 In Bond £493.24 Inc VAT-
Goedhuis, December 2022
This 3 hectare plot of 50-year-old vines is the family’s pride and joy and plays an ambassadorial role in the reputation of the commune of Pernand Vergelesses, in the same way as the hill of Corton does. Red cherry and cranberry aromas. The stony nature of the soil creates a wine with noticeable minerality, that in its youth can appear somewhat strict verging on austere, but with age shows sweet mature Pinot at its absolute very best. The style of the 2021 vintage is a perfect reflection of this wine’s great potential.
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Neal Martin, January 2023, Score: 88-90
The 2021 Pernand-Vergelesses Ile de Vergelesses 1er Cru comes from four hectares of vines between white and red, the vines averaging 40 years old. There is a bit of stemminess on the nose here. It's pretty earthy with wild hedgerows. The palate is nicely structured and spicy with black pepper and thyme. It's firm and just a little austere on the finish. It simply needs to gain a bit more joie-de-vivre by the time of bottling. Drink 2024-2032.
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Jasper Morris MW, December 2022, Score: 90-93
80% whole bunch vinification- they have a significant holding, though yields were just 14 hl/ha. Glowing purple. This has a notably more classic nose, less dependent on the vinification technique. The fruit fills out the middle with a high-class raspberry fruit, fewer black notes at the back and while the dark pepper is clearly present it is more surrounded by the fruit. Drink from 2025-2030.
2021 Corton Les Maréchaudes Grand Cru Chandon de Briailles
£450.00 In Bond £549.61 Inc VAT-
Goedhuis, December 2022
The Maréchaudes vineyard sits just below Corton Bressandes and this wine is always very expressive in its youth, particularly this year with 80% whole bunch vinification. Aromas of blueberry and Black Forest gâteau, it is instantly open and giving, with generosity and succulence. The tannins have a sweet ripeness to them. Quite simply gorgeous. Claude’s mother loves this vineyard because of its fine feminine nature.
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Neal Martin, January 2023, Score: 91-93
From ferrous soils at the bottom of the slope, the 2021 Corton Les Maréchaudes Grand Cru has a clean and pure bouquet with rose petal-infused red berry fruit and light incense aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannins, Morello cherries mixed with strawberry and hints of white pepper. Its harmonious finish has plenty of joie-de-vivre. Drink 2025-2038
2021 Pernand Vergelesses 1er Cru Ile des Vergelesses Blanc Chandon de Briailles
£450.00 In Bond £559.24 Inc VAT-
Neal Martin, January 2023
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2021 Corton Blanc Grand Cru Chandon de Briailles
£575.00 In Bond £699.61 Inc VAT-
Goedhuis, December 2022
This is a fascinating white wine coming from two plots, one in Corton Bressandes and the other in Corton Chaumes below Charlemagne. Unusually, these plots were planted with Chardonnay, due to a lack of Pinot Noir at the nursery back in the 1970s when they came to replanting it. And so a star was born… Hazelnut and caramelised fruit aromas, the palate is more floral, white fruits, peach and apricot. Superb volume and a lovely long creamy finish.
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Neal Martin, January 2023, Score: 91-93
A blend of Corton-Bressandes and Corton Chaumes, the 2021 Corton Blanc Grand Cru has an endearing bouquet with white peach, dried pineapple (which usually disappears after racing) and touches of Mirabelle. The palate is balanced with fine acidity, citrus lemon mixed with Clementine and peach and light white pepper notes on the finish. Lovely. Drink 2024-2035.
