DOMAINE COMTE GEORGES DE VOGÜÉ, 2021 VINTAGE

DOMAINE COMTE GEORGES DE VOGÜÉ

DOMAINE COMTE GEORGES DE VOGÜÉ 2021 VINTAGE

“Wines of sweeping freshness, intense crunchy limestone minerality, vitality and exuberance, as well as great transparency.”

2021 marks a changing of the guard at Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé, being the first complete vintage of winemaker Jean Lupatelli. The harsh April frosts provided an immediate test of Jean’s mettle, and one to which he has risen impressively, in a calm and collected manner which I have a feeling will be a hallmark of his tenure. This first set of wines is a strong and exciting statement of intent.

Established in 1450, the domaine is owned today by Comtesse Claire de Causans and Marie de Ladoucette, descendants of the late Comte Georges, who died in 1987. Working alongside Jean Lupatelli are Éric Bourgogne (Vineyard Manager) and Jean-Luc Pépin (Commercial Director). We caught up with all three over lunch in Chambolle-Musigny last November – a formidable trio.

The domaine owns some two thirds of the Musigny Grand Cru vineyard, binding inextricably the names Comte Georges de Vogüé and Musigny. Its other grand cru is Bonnes Mares, at the northern end of the village, beside Clos de Tart.

We are proud to have been the exclusive UK agent of Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé since 2003 and to welcome in the dawn of a bright new era at the domaine.

GUY SEDDON HEAD OF FINE WINE BUYING March 2023

JEAN-LUC PÉPIN, FEBRUARY 2023

HISTORY

In the 15th century, Jean Moisson, a wealthy Burgundian, began to acquire vineyards and started construction of the current domaine buildings, as well as the nearby church of Chambolle-Musigny.

Several artworks in the church depict members of the Moisson family, ancestors of Comte Georges de Vogüé.

The Vogüé family’s name was first recorded in Burgundy in 1766, when Catherine Bouhier de Versalieu married Cerice François Melchior de Vogüé, originally from the Ardèche, where there is still a commune named Vogüé.

Keeping the domaine in family ownership through the French Revolution of 1789 cannot have been easy. Certainly the domaine stands out as one of the few which managed this.

THE DOMAINE TODAY

In 1925, Comte Georges de Vogüé inherited the vineyards from his father Comte Arthur de Vogüé, since when the domaine has been known as Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé.

Comte Georges’ daughter, Elisabeth de Vogüé, married Baron Bertrand de Ladoucette. The couple had two daughters, Claire and Marie de Ladoucette, the current owners of the domaine.

Comte Georges de Vogüé died in 1987. In 2002, Claire and Marie de Ladoucette, following the death of their mother, inherited the vineyards and became comanagers of the domaine.

Commercial Director Jean-Luc Pépin has been at the domaine since 1988 and Vineyard Manager Éric Bourgogne since 1996. In spring 2021, Jean Lupatelli replaced François Millet as Winemaker.

Jean Lupatelli (left) and Jean-Luc Pépin (right)

THE 2021 VINTAGE AT DOMAINE COMTE GEORGES DE VOGÜÉ

Many thanks to Commercial Director Jean-Luc Pépin for his customary detailed overview of the growing season at the domaine…

January and February were marked by a succession of weather disturbances, resulting in periods when mildness and cold alternated. In total, they saw rainfall of 110 and 55mm respectively.

March started mildly, followed quickly by a ten-day period of cooler weather. Temperatures then rose significantly, becoming almost summery at the end of the month. The month ended with 42.5mm of precipitation.

The start of April saw a drastic drop in temperatures, during the nights of 5th to 8th April, with a frost generated by a polar wind, burning the developed buds of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The candles lit in the Musigny Blanc vineyard during the nights of 7th and 8th April to warm up the air were unfortunately of little effect.

The return to normal temperatures took place from 19th April, albeit with a feeling of freshness, due in part to the permanent north-east wind. The vegetative cycle resumed towards the end of the month, which ended with light rain.

May got off to a cool start. This was a rainy month, with scarce sunshine, slowing the growth of the vines. However, the end of the month saw temperatures rise, becoming summery. June began as May had ended, with fine weather.

Flowering began timidly on the 7th June, with full flowering reached around mid-June and fruit set beginning immediately after. The growth was explosive, the vines being in equatorial creeper mode. This unprecedented pace made vineyard work difficult and led to increased disease pressure (mildew, powdery mildew), coulure and millerandage. Stormy showers and rain from the 22nd to the 24th, with below average temperatures, made June a wet month overall.

The first half of July was rainy, with temperatures below seasonal norms. Conditions improved thereafter, with summer temperatures, but not scorching, and the start of véraison. July ended with a cumulative 101mm of water.

The lack of sun and heat in the first week of August meant that véraison (colour change) stagnated. Weather conditions then improved, becoming summery, although the progress of véraison varied greatly from plot to plot.

September started as August had ended, with fine dry weather, north-east winds, cool nights and above average daytime temperatures. It was clear from visiting the vines that véraison was over and maturity was progressing well. The skins were beginning to separate well from the pulp. In mid-September, the pips were almost dark brown and a vineyard inspection on the 20th showed that the plots were healthy.

Harvest took place from 22nd to 27th September, in excellent weather conditions. There was just one stormy episode during the night of 25th to 26th September, bringing only 7mm of rain.

Meticulous sorting, on arrival of the grapes in the vat room, followed by further selection at pressing and settling allowed only the best of the crop to be retained. Given the frost, the many disturbances over the months, cryptogamic diseases, coulure and millerandage, 2021 turned out to be a difficult vintage in terms of quantities harvested.

This is particularly true for Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru, made from the young vines of Musigny, whose dwindling area is now just 0.20ha. The combination of reduced surface area (due to the ageing vines) and the small crop means that unfortunately this wine cannot be offered in the 2021 vintage.

2021 VINTAGE TASTING NOTES

MUSIGNY BLANC GRAND CRU

Made from just 0.65 hectares of Chardonnay vines in this great grand cru vineyard, the domaine’s Musigny Blanc is a real rarity. The 2021 frosts affected the Chardonnay in Musigny less than the Pinot Noir, curiously. Nonetheless, just over four barrels have been made, versus seven in the 2020 vintage. White peach and hay aromas, with green citrus rind. The palate is stony-mineral and zesty, with fleshy stone-fruit and lemony verve. Leesy pâtisserie flavours linger on the textured finish.

Corney & Barrow Score 18

Recommended drinking from 2026 - 2035

£990/Case of 1 bottle, in bond UK

Tasting Guide

Our tasting notes provide full details but, at your request, we have also introduced a clear and simple marking system. We hope these guidelines assist you in your selection. For the benefit of simplicity, wines are scored out of 20. We will often use a range of scores (e.g. 16.5 to 17) to indicate the potential to achieve a higher mark. When a ‘+’ is shown it adds further to that potential. Wines from lesser vintages will, inevitably, show a lower overall score.

Wines are judged, in a very broad sense, against their peers. Why? Well, you cannot easily compare a Ford with an Aston Martin, other than they are both cars and have wheels. It is not that different with wine. A score is a summary only. The devil is in the detail, so please focus on the tasting notes and, as always, speak to our sales team.

CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY

This comes from two premiers crus vineyards – Les Baudes (0.13 hectares) and Les Fuées (0.15ha) – plus 1.8ha of village vines, in Les Porlottes, Les Jutruots and La Taupe. These last three are clustered together, to the south of the village. Small red berry aromas, with smoky minerality. The palate is cool and fresh, with an orangey zest lifting the pure raspberry flavours. Pretty rose perfume lingers on the finish. The volume of grapes picked was so small that the blend here was made using grapes rather than wine. 100% destemmed.

Corney & Barrow Score 17.5+

Recommended drinking from 2027 - 2039

£705/Case of 3 bottles, in bond UK

£480/Case of 1 magnum, in bond UK

BONNES-MARES GRAND CRU

For the second year, we followed Jean Lupatelli’s preferred tasting order of Bonnes-Mares after the ChambolleMusigny village. This makes good sense, the darker-fruited Bonnes-Mares being something of an outlier at the northern end of the appellation, next to Clos de Tart. As always, this has a more purple hue than the other Vogüé wines. Aromas of bitter cherry and liquorice, with tangerine rind. The palate opens with delicate violets – a pretty, pizzicato entry – with taut acidity making the more substantial forest fruit on the mid-palate dance beautifully. The finish is crunchy and precise, a fabulous example of the unadorned beauty of 2021. 50% whole-bunch fermentation.

Corney & Barrow Score 18.5

Recommended drinking from 2028 - 2040+

£1,980/Case of 3 bottles, in bond UK

£1,330/Case of 1 magnum, in bond UK

CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY 1ER CRU LES AMOUREUSES

The domaine owns two parcels of Amoureuses, totalling 0.56 hectares. The largest parcel (planted 1964) is below Musigny, at the southern end of this nearly pure-limestone vineyard. The smaller plot lies to the north (planted 1974). The grapes from both tend to be very small, making for a highly textural style, complemented by the classic chalky minerality of Amoureuses. Aromas of wild strawberry and intense dark berries, with a sweet-fruited flamboyance. The palate opens with pliant, joyful red berries, which lift off into the air on the mid-palate. The finish goes on and on, soaring and ephemeral. 50% whole-bunch fermentation. Only three (and a bit) barrels have been made in 2021.

Corney & Barrow Score 18+

Recommended drinking from 2028 - 2040+

£600/Case of 1 bottle, in bond UK

MUSIGNY VIEILLES VIGNES GRAND CRU

Tightly wound on the nose, reluctantly allowing dark peppery spices and a citrussy twist to emerge. The palate is spicy and granular on the entry, opening onto a mid-palate of nervy minerality and dark berry and cherry fruit, framed by fine, chalky tannins. Clenched and finely hewn, this will be wonderful. Jean Lupatelli described how Musigny is now treated as seven distinct plots, each vinified separately. As the domaine owns 7.12 hectares of Musigny’s total 10.85, spread over a variety of sub-terroirs, this seems eminently sensible. The average vine age is now just over 45 years, as increasing proportions of the Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru plots are integrated. 50% whole-bunch fermentation.

Corney & Barrow Score 18.5

Recommended drinking from 2030 - 2040+

£2,970/Case of 3 bottles, in bond UK

£1,990/Case of 1 magnum, in bond UK

THE ALLOCATION PROCESS

All of the domaine’s wines are allocated. Our suggestion is that you simply order what you would ideally like to receive. To order, please call or email your usual sales contact.

• The domaine’s and Corney & Barrow’s focus is on the private customer and as a consumer rather than a speculator.

• The domaine’s wines are bought on the clear understanding that they will be stored and delivered in the UK only.

• Should you wish to sell the wine in the future, do please offer Corney & Barrow first refusal as this will ensure the integrity of secondary market distribution, something which is of great concern to the domaine.

• Priority will be given to the domaine’s and Corney & Barrow’s best, most loyal and most regular customers.

• We will do our best to accommodate newer customers. To help in this, we have a range of older vintages in stock to help begin a collection.

• May we please have your order by Friday 17th March.

• Allocations will be completed by Friday 24th March Confirmation of order will be through receipt of invoice and the wines will be delivered or put into your reserve on payment.

• As outlined, all orders are conditional upon UK storage only.

• May we please request that invoices are paid in full by Wednesday 26th April. In all fairness, we reserve the right to re-allocate your order to other customers on the waiting list if payment is not received by this time.

• Do please speak to our sales team, who will be delighted to help you further.

We are often asked by customers for guidance on the quantities they should order.

Vineyard Holdings

RECOMMENDED DRINKING DATES

Here, therefore, are specific recommendations on every vintage since and including 2003 when we took on UK representation for Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé. For your interest and reference we have included our original recommendations made at the launch of the new vintages. Of course taste is an extremely personal thing, but having tasted and analysed these wines extensively over the last few years, we believe that opening them at the dates indicated will ensure maximum enjoyment.

We are regularly asked for more specific drinking dates for Burgundies, in particular from the great domaines.

LES

LES BONNES MARES

LES BAUDES

LES SENTIERS

LES LAVROTTES LES NOIROTS

LES GROSEILLES

LES CHATELOTS

LES FEUSELOTTES

LES PAS DE CHAT DERNERES LE FOUR

LES GOÉRIPPES

LES CHARMES

LES BUSSIÈRES LES GAMAIRES

LES DRAZEY

LES FREMIÊRES

AUX BEAUX BRUNS AUX ECHANGES AUX CROIX

AUX COMBOTTES LES PLANTES

LES CLOS DE I’OME

LES SORDES

LES FOUCHÈRES

LES ARGILLERES

LES CHARMES

LES BORNIQUES

LES CHABIOTS

LES AMOUREUSES

LES HERBUES

LES CHARDANNES

LES ATHETS

LES MALADIÈRES

LES MOMBIERS LES MAI CARRÉES

LES BARBILLÈRES

LES CONDEMENNES

LES NAZOIRES

CONTACT US

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