Deja-Vu
Domaine Maurice Chapuis
(Aloxe-Corton)
He had a Deja Vu, Maurice Chaouis admits, when we were accompanied by his wife, discovered him in his cellar where he was preparing a room for the new vintage. We had visited him in the last few years, but didn't meet him last year...
Chapuis owns a few good Gradn Cru climates at the Corton hill and Premier Cru and also appellation climates in Aloxe-Corton. During the last years he gained a Savigny-les-Beaune and a recommendable white Chorey-les-Beaune.
The Corton-Charlemagne this year was harvested at last, on the 26th of September, after all the other wines. Also at Chapui's there was a very good harvest with high quantity and high amount of sugar. In Savigny where not more than 13,5% alcohol is allowed, he measured a natural alcohol of 13,8%! Among 16 Cuveés that normaly all were chaptalized, this year only four had to undergo chaptalisation. Another rarity that usually can't happen is that the Corton-Charlemagne this year shows the lowest concentration of natural sugar, because the roots couldn't get enough water in the rather thin-soiled climate during the sunny Septembre. So the Chorey-les-Beaune blanc on a more even climate with more soil developed this year a greater amount of sugar and was riper - just the other way round as it used to be. Maurice Chapuis thinks that it will be a superb year especially for this wine.
Every year we enjoy the white wines very much, the reds we'd sometimes like to see much more concentrated.
whites:
Chorey-les-Beaune blanc 1997
Bright shinig yellow. Fragrance of apple and wood. Some walnut within the mouth, apple and aromas of wood. Fruity, good apple-like acidity. Beautiful, recommendable Chardonnay. (56FF)
Corton-Charlemagne 1997
(This wine we degustated in the end after trying the red wines)
Pale and shining yellow. Fragrance is still closed, sea salt, sea air and elderberry blossom, notes of honey. Very long aftertaste, worm, very pleasent, very balanced. Smooth acidity, round, feminine. Probably it isn't made for keeping too long, but is to be consumed in five to eight years - but then it is going to be a very good, complex, aromatic Corton-Charlemagne. (190 FF)
reds:
Aloxe-Corton 1995
Colours of cherries, aroma of dark berries, raspberry and morellos. In the mouth acidity, strawberry ice cream!, light fruit, thin body, not very intense (75 FF)
Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru 1997
Dark cherry within the colour. Scent of cassisaroma and green (white) currant. In the mouth smooth acidity, soft tannin. cherry-like fruit. Also not so intense, but very fine. (90 FF)
Corton-Languettes Grand Cru 1996
Colour of plums. And a lot of them in the fragrance. Some cooked elderberry, too. Within the mouth plum and wild plums, yellow plums, good acidity medium intense tannin. Pleasent spicy, good embedded oakwood aroma. Excellent fruit. (140 FF)
Corton-Perriere Grand Cru 1996
A bit darker. Spicy green aromas. Plum. Wilder and stronger than the Languettes. Within the taste stone wood, more intense tannin, good strong acidity. Good structured. Fruit more closed than with the Languettes. (140 FF)
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