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Hors Bordeaux tasting notes: France

04 September 2024 By Colin Hay

It is good to see the enticing diversity of French wines now offered through La Place, not only with the existing stars, but also in the fabulous value to be had in releases from Baron Philippe de Rothschild’s Domaine de Baronarques, Bouche du Roi, Odysée and Domaine Chapuis, says Colin Hay.

French reds

The stars are, of course, Domaine de la Chapelle’s Hermitage La Chapelle and Beaucastel’s legendary Hommage à Jacques Perrin, joined for the first time by Georges Vigouroux’s Château de Haute-Serre’s Grand Malbec from Cahors. But there is fabulous value to be had in the releases from Baron Philippe de Rothschild’s Domaine de Baronarques, Bouche du Roi, Odysée and Domaine Chapuis (whether at village, 1er cru or grand cru level).

French releases (red)	Vintage	Region	New?	Rating
Domaine Chapuis Aloxe-Corton	2022	Burgundy	No	90
Domaine Chapuis Aloxe Corton 1er Cru	2022	Burgundy	No	92
Domaine Chapuis Savigny-Lès-Beaune	2022	Burgundy	No	91
Domaine Chapuis Corton-Languettes Grand Cru	2022	Burgundy	No	94
Domaine Chapuis Corton-Chaumes Grand Cru	2022	Burgundy	No	95
Domaine Chapuis Corton-Perrières Grand Cru	2022	Burgundy	No	95+
La Bouche du Roi Abondance	2023	île de France	No	92+
La Capitelle de Baronarques	2022	Occitanie*	No	91
Domaine de Baronarques	2022	Occitanie*	No	94
Chateau d’Aussières	2020	Occitanie*	No	90
Château de Haute-Serre Grand Malbec	2022	Occitanie*	Yes	96
Domaine de Terrebrune	2021	Provence	No	91
Odysée	2021	Rhone	No	91
Hermitage La Chapelle	2022	Rhone	No	97
CNDP Beaucastel Hommage à Jacques Perrin	2022	Rhone	No	97

Domaine Chapuis Aloxe-Corton 2022 (Aloxe Corton AOC; 100% Pinot Noir; 13% alcohol; tasted in Bordeaux and then again and with more success, with more appropriate stemware, in Paris). Pure and quite crisp and bright. Simple, but fresh and engaging, with plenty of energy. Red berry fruits – strawberry, but this is more of a background note, with the cranberry and redcurrant more prominent. Quite strict and linear, the fruit tightly strapped to the spine making this feel rather austere. Well-sustained on the finish. 90.

Domaine Chapuis Aloxe Corton 1er Cru 2022 (Aloxe Corton AOC; 100% Pinot Noir; sourced from three parcels, Les Vercots and Les Guérets in the south of the appellation and Les Valozières in the North, contiguous with Les Bressandes in Corton; 13.5% alcohol; tasted in Bordeaux and then again and with more success, with more appropriate stemware, in Paris). A clear step up from the simpler vintage-level Aloxe, with more structure, greater intensity and a pleasing fluidity across the palate. More floral too. Tender and lithe on the finish, with a pleasingly luminous mid-palate. 92.

Domaine Chapuis Savigny-Lès-Beaune 2022 (Savigny-Lès-Beaune; 100% Pinot Noir; 13% alcohol; tasted in Paris from a sample directly supplied by the property). Less strict and severe than the Alxoxe-Corton, this is immediately fuller and more relaxed, the fleshy red berry fruits (raspberry and strawberry) more prominent and the redcurrant and cranberry more restrained. A nice sense of tension. Richer, plumper and more ample on the palate too, though the tannins are again quite aggressive at this early stage. Needs time. 91.

Domaine Chapuis Corton-Languettes Grand Cru 2022 (Corton AOC; 100% Pinot Noir; perfectly situated just above Les Perrières at 250-330 metres and with an Eastern exposure, this would be Corton-Charlemagne were it planted with Chardonnay; 13.5% alcohol; tasted in Paris from a sample directly supplied by the property). Full and rich, and yet gracious, plump and plush at the same time this is perhaps the softest and most refined of the three Corton climat expressions. I love the delicacy, the restraint and, above all, the distinctly luminous quality I find on the mid-palate. Long and supple, tender and enticing even in its infancy. 94.

Domaine Chapuis Corton-Chaumes Grand Cru 2022 (Corton AOC; 100% Pinot Noir; the most southernly-facing of the three Corton climat expressions from Domaine Chapuis, opposite the southern reaches of the Pernand Vergelesses vineyards; 13.5% alcohol; tasted in Paris from a sample directly supplied by the property). Ever so slightly darker in the glass and immediately more powerful and fulsome aromatically, this is gloriously articulate and expressive, with a strikingly pure fresh crushed loganberry and raspberry fruit. Quite ample on the attack, but with grippy and structuring tannins, this might require, just as it will reward, a little more patience than the Languettes climat cuvée. 95.

Domaine Chapuis Corton Perrières Grand Cru 2022 (Corton AOC; 100% Pinot Noir; perfectly situated in the mid-slope where there was once as old stone quarry giving its name to this mythic climat; 13.5% alcohol; tasted first at the Joanne press tasting and then, with more conducive glassware and with more success, in Paris). Lithe and limpid, grippy and sapid, this is perhaps the most structured of the three Corton expressions. Like the Corton-Chaumes, the exudes crushed red berries picked at perfect ripeness. Tasted first in Bordeaux I found this, like a lot of youthful Corton, a little burly and boisterous. But it’s much more refined and delicate, despite the considerable depth, power and concentration when I return to it in Paris almost two months later. Roses. Black tea. A little hint of darker berry fruits with gentle aeration. Very impressive indeed and, like the others, likely to represent excellent value. 95+.

La Bouche du Roi Abondance 2023 (IGP île de France; 100% Pinot Noir; 13.5% alcohol; on clay and limestone; certified organic). The second release from this fascinating project to restore an old tradition of wine-making around Versailles – a region that was, in the 18^th century, the most productive in France. Very pure-fruited and bitingly fresh. Loganberry. Raspberry. Spice. White pepper. Pomegranate and redcurrant. Fresh, pure, lithe but with decent substance too. The fruit is tightly strapped to the spine giving this great structure and ratcheting up the intensity. The tannins are fine-grained and beady – like little glass rollers, more tactile in a way because of the clarity and luminous quality of the mid-palate. Linear, taut and tense, like all of these Bouche du Roi wines. Plenty of character. 92+.

La Capitelle de Baronarques 2022 (Limoux; 54% Merlot; 26% Malbec; 20% Syrah; 15% alcohol). Quite deep and rich, aromatically expressive, with a nice touch of cedar alongside the plum and black berry fruits. A little spice and both black and green Szechuan pepper from the Syrah and a leafy florality that seals in the freshness. No less impressive than the grand vin given the challenges of the vintage. 91.

Domaine de Barronarques 2022 (Limoux; 49% Merlot; 23% Syrah; 17% Cabernet Franc; 6% Malbec; 5% Cabernet Sauvignon; 15% alcohol). An immediately captivating and rather classical note of cedar. Glossily textured, lithe and limpid, gracious and refined, elegant and fresh. Lots of cassis, graphite and crushed fresh and croquant berry fruits – mulberry and raspberry predominating. There’s an evident link to left-bank Bordeaux here, notably in the quality of the tannins. Impressive, above all in the context of a somewhat challenging vintage. 94.

Chateau d’Aussières 2020 (Corbières AOC; 77% Syrah; 23% Mourvèdre; 15% alcohol). Quite toasty. Spicy – cinnamon and nutmeg. Grated mace. Very Syrah peppery. Saline in its minerality, almost a little Italianate. Plum and dark berry fruits. But a ferrous touch too. Chewy, substantial, authentic but with slightly rustic tannins. A pleasingly unpretentious mouthful. 90.

De Haute-Serre Grand Malbec (Georges Vigouroux) 2022 (Cahors; 100% Malbec; an inter-parcel selection, by plant and by grape; aged for 18 months in a combination of amphorae and oak barrels of 400 litres, around half of them new; around 6000 bottles; 14% alcohol). There’s been a lot of talk of this wine and it’s good finally to taste it. It’s worth the wait. Quite simply both the best wine from the appellation and the best French Malbec that I have ever tasted. Aromatically explosive, with tulip bulbs, lilac, violet, black pen ink, graphite and cedar vying with the black cherry and blueberry fruit and those gorgeous freshly crushed green and black peppercorns notes (there’s a distinct hint of ‘au poivre’ sauce to this). Plump and plush, dense and extremely compact, with a considerable volume of ultra fine-grained beady tannin still to be resolved, this is built for the ages. I love the beautiful lift and sapidity of the fantail finish. 96. RRP: €180.

Domaine de Terrebrune 2021 (Bandol; 85% Mourvèdre; 10% Grenache; 5% Cinsault; 14% alcohol). Meaty and gamey. Charcuterie, baking spices too and a wild garrigue herbal element. Candlewax. Tight on the attack and with considerable intensity. Quite sapid and fresh on the finish, though with a slight a touch of dryness to the tannins. Needs time but this is impressively substantial. 91.

Odyssée 2021 (Vin de France; 59% Cabernet Sauvignon; 30% Grenache; 11% Mourvèdre; 13.5% alcohol; from Pierre Graffeuille and Matthieu Dumarcher). Crystalline and pure. It’s actually quite difficult to pick the components here and, tasted blind, you might imagine this as coming from somewhere like Limoux (i.e.: Rhone and Bordeaux varietals, if not quite the right ones)! Candied fruits. Candlewax. A gentle florality. Raspberry. Bramble. A little cassis with aeration. Quite strict, more so than other vintages of this wine. Not yet totally integrated. Needs time. A little dry on the finish too. 91.

Hermitage La Chapelle (Domaine La Chapelle) 2022 (Hermitage; 100% Syrah; 14% alcohol; tasted at La Lagune with Caroline and Delphine Frey around a month before bottling; then at the Joanne tasting in July). A little closed at first, but it opens nicely with gentle aeration. Walnut and walnut oil. Dark berry fruits. Sloe and plums, maybe a little damson and black cherry with a little coaxing. Peony, hyacinth, mimosa. Graphite. Earthy, with a little leafy, humous/sous bois note. Sage too. Plump. This has a lovely shape, texture and form in the mouth, pushing at the cheeks just a little. Despite the sustained intensity of the record heat of the vintage, the exceptional terroir has retained an essential freshness. As Caroline Frey explains, everything on granitic soils coped so well despite this being the hottest vintage ever. A lovely trace of liquorice on the finish where one finds also chewy grape skins. 97.

Château de Beaucastel Hommage à Jacques Perrin 2022 (Châteauneuf-du-Pape; 75% Mourvèdre; 10% Syrah; 10% Grenache;5% Counoise; 14.5% alcohol). Wild garrigue herbs. Sloes. Plums. Black berries and brambles. Briary fruit notes. Fruits of the forest. A natural sucrosity. A little touch of incense. On the palate the fruit is a shade lighter and, if anything, fresher still – raspberry and loganberry. Very pure and refined. Impressively crystalline and with a pleasing granularity to the tannins indicating the considerable aging potential. 97.

French Whites

French releases (red)	Vintage	Region	New?	Rating
La Bouche du Roi Grande Vue	2023	île de France	No	93
La Bouche du Roi Grand Lever	2023	île de France	No	92+
La Bouche du Roi Les Louis d’Or	2023	île de France	No	94
Domaine Chapuis Chorey-Lès-Beaune	2022	Burgundy	No	91
Domaine Chapuis Corton-Charlemagne	2022	Burgundy	No	94
Domaine de Baronarques	2022	Occitanie*	No	94
Hermitage Le Chevalier de Sterimberg	2022	Rhone	No	96

La Bouche du Roi Grande Vue 2023 (IGP île de France; 100% Sauvignon Blanc; 14% alcohol; certified organic). A lovely fresh and crisp sky-scraper vertical aromatic profile – nettles, freshly cut grass, gooseberry, white currant with a pleasing leafiness too. Very saline, with almost a note of liquorice – rare in a white – and impressively dense and compact over quite a slender and chiselled frame. Impressive stuff. Tender; tight; taut; tense. The best vintage of this that I’ve tasted. 93.

La Bouche du Roi Grand Lever 2023 (IGP île de France; 100% Chenin Blanc; 12.5% alcohol; certified organic). Lifted, with a leafy and at the same time earthy aromatic profile. Prominent citrus and white almond notes soar vertically from the glass, with a little suggestion of straw and a hint of saffron. On the palate, just like the Sauvignon Blanc, this is wonderfully taut and tense, with a racy acidity that brings a sparkle and a brightness to the mid-palate before releasing a lovely fresh wave of sapidity on the finish. Granny Smith apple and pink grapefruit. Long and tapering. Once again, the best vintage of this wine to date. 92+.

La Bouche du Roi Louis d’Or 2023 (IGP île de France; 100% Chardonnay; on clay and limestone; 13.5% alcohol; certified organic). Wonderfully tense and tactile from the get go, this is bright, intensely crisp and charged with a racy citrus acidity that hints at its geo-localisation towards the northern reaches of Chardonnay’s realm in France (one could almost imagine this as a the basis of a top single vineyard vinous Champagne cuvée). Dense, compact and with impressive richness and concentration, an effect achieved by the effect of the limestone, which pinches the wine from the attack and chisels it, holding the fruit very close to a well-defined central spine. Very linear; very focussed. 94.

Domaine Chapuis Chorey-Lès-Beaune 2022 (Chorey-Lès-Beaune 2022; 100% Chardonnay; planted on a well-draining alluvial marle and limestone terroir; 13% alcohol). A rare white Chorey-Lès-Beaune (over 90% of the appellation is planted with Pinot Noir). Simple in a way, but tense and tactile with an almost indulgent richness immediately countered by the fresh and biting acidity. Candlewax, a little peach flesh and assorted citrus notes – lemon cordial above all. A touch of fresh ginger too. 91.

Domaine Chapuis Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2022 (Corton-Charlemagne; 100% Chardonnay; from parcels of Les Languettes, Les Pougets et Le Charlemagne with an optimal Southern and South-Eastern exposition on marly limestone and clay at 280 to 330 metres; 13.5% alcohol). Both gloriously opulent, lush, plush and plump and, at the same time, seriously chiselled, bright, crisp and crunchy in its fruit signature. Beeswax, lime zest, lime cordial and white grapefruit, gooseberry, a little hint of mimosa and jasmine too, a subtle flinty minerality and a gentle sprinkling of ginger and aromatic spices. On the palate this is intense and structured, fluid and dynamic, but rich and full. Above all, though, it is sinuous, the fruit though bound quite closely to the spine, having just enough range to flow where its whimsy takes it. Relaxed and gracious. 94.

Domaine de Baronarques 2022 (Limoux; 97 Chardonnay; 3% Chenin Blanc; non malolactic fermentation; 14% alcohol). This is bright, crisp and aerial. Candlewax; fifty shades of citrus; crushed rocks; and then the fruit – white grapefruit, citron pressé, blood orange, orange blossom, green tea. There’s a distinct lime cordial note too with some of the viscosity that implies. Texturally rich but aromatically fresh and very vertical. Juicy. Refreshing and very clean on the finish. A triumph. 94.

Hermitage La Chapelle Chevalier de Sterimberg (Domaine de la Chapelle) 2022 (Hermitage; 87% Marsanne; 13% Rousanne; 14% alcohol). Hyper-fresh, crunchy in its fruit profile and succulent in the mid-palate with excellent tension, poise and energy for such a hot vintage. Candlewax and candle smoke. Celendine, camomile and perhaps a hint of green tea. Blood orange. Wild herbs – oregano and marjoram. Viscous. This is always amongst the freshest wines of Hermitage, despite its richness, breadth and depth, and it is here once again. Tense. Rich. Harmonious and yet dynamic and energetic. Croquant and with fabulous upward thrusts of citrus freshness breaking through the sumptuous rich exterior. Pure and glistening, with a brilliant éclat. 96.