2018 triggers mixed feelings among friends of Burgundy. Heat and drought ensured plenty of healthy grapes, but many connoisseurs worried that too many wines, especially the Pinot Noirs, would be characterised by alcohol, extract and jamminess – and not carried by elegance and freshness.
However, those who got the rapid ripening process and the yields under control and defined the perfect harvest time could perform the balancing act between dry heat during ripening and fresh finesse in the bottle.
Owner and winemaker Benoît Landanger from Domaine de la Pousse d'Or in Volnay confirms this: "With the 2018, we managed to maintain the freshness of our wines for two main reasons: our biodynamic working principles in the vineyard helped to maintain good acidity, resulting in balanced wines, and an early harvest date. We decided to start on 27 August and we brought in very clean and ripe grapes. A gentle vinification, so as not to unbalance the wines with too much extraction, allowed us to get the elegance we wanted in the wines."
The Domaine's 18 hectares are spread across five Grand Cru sites and 11 Premier Cru sites in Morey-Saint-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny, Corton, Pommard, Volnay, Puligny-Montrachet and Santenay. Almost 95 percent are planted with Pinot Noir, the rest is Chardonnay. The main demand for the wines is currently generated on the Asian markets, above all China and Southeast Asia, says Landanger. aw
Four wines from the 2018 vintage reached us for tasting. The freshness and elegance with high complexity impressed us throughout.
2018 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "Le Cailleret": Citrus and white nougat, beeswax, slightly smoky, no real new wood notes, herbal spice, pistachio; punchy, salty, grippy, chalky minerality, tightly woven, slightly roughened, firm tannins, citrus-fresh finish. 92 points
2018 Volnay 1er Cru "Clos de la Bousse d'Or Monopole": Blueberry, huckleberry, some juniper, extremely fine spice, anchovy paste; ultra-fine, good freshness, polished, rounded tannins, lots of substance, velvety, smooth, punchy finish. 94 points
2018 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru "Les Groseilles": Hibiscus, great pepperiness, blueberry; silky tannins, elegant and light on its feet, delicate yet structure-giving tannins, playful. 93 points
2018 Corton le Clos du Roi Grand Cru: very intense, Wild cherry, Juniper, Allspice, rosehip jam; massive, great peppery spice, allspice, fine freshness, everything tightly interwoven, salty-clay texture, finest grip. 96 points
