Hautes Côtes de Nuits Rouge - Pinot Noir BG (22)

Pinot Noir | een perceel van 1,6 ha terug gekocht in 2013 nadat het ooit is aanplant in 1970 door Francois Gerbet en later verkocht is | door de ligging op de Côtes, koeler qua klimaat en wordt er hier als allerlaatste geplukt elk jaar | vergisting op tanks van cement en foudre | rijping op eikenhout van 300l, tot max 10% nieuw eikenhout | lichtrood van kleur | heerlijk geurend naar klein rood fruit | kers | framboos en levendige fris | zeer goed Bourgogne instapniveau 

Amelie Berthaut

Een van de nieuwe sterren in de Franse Bourgogne is Amelie Berthaut. Na de samensmelting van twee familie Domaines (Berthaut, Fixin & Gerbet, Vosne-Romanée) heeft Amelie maar liefst zestien hectare wijngaard in haar bezit met de volledige focus op Pinot Noir! Ze maakt een heerlijk volle en rijke stijl Pinot met diepgang en intensiteit. 

Review

Amelie has been able to invest in a sorting table and it was used for first time in 2015, albeit to minimal effect since grape quality was pretty homogeneous. I asked Amelie if she has changed any of the techniques used by Berthaut père? “I prefer malolactic in barrel whereas my father did the malolactic in tank or in foudres,” she answered. “I think you have more oxygen exchange that you don't have in concrete and also more exchange with the lees. We don't settle on the lees.” I tasted through the entire range with Amelie from both sides of the family. Apropos 2014, those on her father’s side will be labeled “Domaine Berthaut” and on her mother’s side, “Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet”. It’s a bit confusing, though the good news is that from the 2015 vintage, these will be unified under the “Berthaut-Gerbet” label since she wishes to keep the name of her maternal grandfather "Gerbet". None of the 2014s had been racked when I tasted them. The only one I did not taste was the Echézeaux as Amelie felt it was too reduced. I did also taste her first Fixin Blanc from vines planted in 2009, though this will be for private use only (I did not pen a note though, and I think it has potential.) As I said, these wines were intermittently thrilling. They are not perfect and there were a couple that just seemed to miss the mark a bit -- curiously the Fixin Hervelets that just did not appear to “sing”. This was compensated by Les Crais and En Combe Roy, which must be the best two Fixin village crus that I have ever encountered. I anticipated the Hervelets to ratchet up the quality further. It was still a very fine wine, but did not quite go that extra level (though let’s see what the 2015 can do). As I expected, the Vosne-Romanées were excellent, but for me the real standouts come further north in Gevrey-Chambertin. Wow. The Gevrey Lavaux Saint-Jacques and Cazetiers were astonishingly good, in fact, with more élan than some of the more famous names that have been working these vineyards for years. Neil Martin