Domaine Méo-Camuzet 2020

2024 Bordeaux En Primeur Vintage Report

Bordeaux 2024 – the wrong vintage at the wrong time? Bordeaux 2024 En Primeur is now upon us and it comes as the fine wine market looks to settle after a period of considerable instability. The timing is awkward given where the market is right now, and the calibre of the vintage is far from attention-grabbing. Given how the prices of various far superior Bordeaux vintages have tumbled and how many superior wines are available in the market at corrected prices, is 2024 a vintage that anyone needs to purchase? 2024 isn’t a great vintage. Rain in and around harvest always makes for tricky conditions – it comes down to a decision as to whether you wait and see if conditions improve or whether you bite the bullet and harvest in advance of rain. You risk under ripeness if you harvest too early and dilution if the inclement weather doesn’t ease, if you elect to wait. In a bygone age such decisions would be more fraught, today with all the analyses that leading Châteaux have to hand, it is easier to navigate such conditions to make a decent wine. That said, wine is made in the vineyard and if the raw material is lacking in some way, you can’t make up for it in the winery. In 2024, cool conditions in the run up to harvest did little to help push on ripeness so 2024 has delivered lighter wines, with lower alcohol and higher acidity – the heat required to build sugar in the berries and reduce acidity did not materialise. And the resultant ripeness is such that almost all estates will take care in extraction not to work the skins too much for fear of extracting anything unripe. Consequently, the sorting of fruit was critical in 2024, and yields will be relatively low as estates discarded fruit that was nowhere near the required ripeness. 2024 was a wet year for Bordeaux – allegedly the wettest since 2000. Spring was warm which led to an early budburst, bringing with it the risk of frost. Mildew remained a risk on account of the dampness and warmer than usual temperatures. Flowering was relatively unproblematic, but April temperatures were already cooler than usual, and this pattern extended into July with regular rain. Fruitset was disrupted and mildew remained a constant threat throughout the majority of the summer. Mid-July signalled a greater sense of hope with finer, warmer weather bringing some degree of hydric stress to most vineyards across the region. After a period of instability, it looked like things might finally be settling down - the skins of the berries started to ripen in the final two weeks of July, which were hotter than the norm. Veraison (when the berries change colour) was completed by midway through August – a month which was characterised by noticeably cool evenings. This meant that the tannins developed, but sugar accumulation in the berries was very slow. This slower than normal ripening cycle continued into September, and it started to become clear that for quality to blossom, fine late season conditions would be needed to see the fruit through to full ripeness. Around the 20th September the rains returned. Most estates harvested their Merlot just before the rain, with Cabernet harvest commencing around the 30th September. Those terroirs that benefitted from free draining soils were able to hold off that bit longer. As simplistic and generalised as this brief summary is, it all adds up to there being significant variation between communes and estates. Châteaux were largely unable to wait for their Merlot or Cabernet to achieve full ripeness at point of harvest. In short, 2024 is a year that got going quicky in warm conditions, slowed considerably due to cool, wet conditions, perked up again off the back of several hot weeks, but didn’t have the dry, warm run in to harvest to bring about full ripeness as inclement weather returned. I have already read marketing missives from merchants desperately trying to focus on some positives, and understandably so. You will no doubt read plenty of commentary talking about the welcome reduction in alcohol and the brightness of acidities, but you have to remember that these come as a consequence of modest rather than complete ripeness, and a number of wines consequently show touches of green, unripe fruit. You will hear plenty about the fact that there is no such thing as a poor vintage in Bordeaux these days, and certainly the disasters of yesteryear can be navigated more easily, but despite all the modern advances you cannot improve on the raw material. Yes, an estate could shade things in their favour during the growing season, if they were quick to react to mildew pressure, or by retaining cover crops between rows to deal with excessive moisture, or even by leaf-plucking to expose the fruit to gain a modicum of extra ripeness. But these steps cannot compensate for the difficult conditions encountered, they are very small percentage gains. For the campaign to work in any shape or form, pricing has to come down sufficiently to make 2024 a cheap vintage as neither the vintage quality nor the economic backdrop will permit anything else. You look at negociant lists and you see how much unsold young Bordeaux is stuck in the system and it is considerable. The negociants are obliged to accept allocations and yet they are paying interest to fund their stocks in a falling market. Their appetite or ability to take on inventory from the 2024 vintage isn’t there – they need this vintage to sell through and not queue up on their books. China has not been active in en primeur for some time, at least not significantly, and the US is struggling with the tariff situation, so neither of these markets is likely to be particularly active in this year’s en primeur campaign. For Atlas, Bordeaux En Primeur has almost always centred on no more than 20 successful wines. We see many other merchants have come to the same conclusion in recent years. There has been plenty of chat in the trade about prices returning to 2014 levels. To put that into perspective, that would mean Château Lynch-Bages releasing at 50 euros (in 2023 it released at 60 euros, down from 88 euros in 2022). I am not singling out Lynch-Bages for any particular reason, just using it as a recognisable example. At today’s exchange rates this would equate to around £300 per 6 bottle case in bond as an offer price. At this level, it could probably be considered about fair, when you consider the superior quality 2021 is available in the market at £390 per 6 in bond as is the superior 2017. However, we know there is an oversupply of vintages like 2021 in the market, and such prices could soften further. Equally, 2021 is a superior vintage with more staying power too. Would you not do better to pick off stocks of corrected vintages in the market? So, if price reductions match 2014 release prices it could be argued that they will be considered fair, but even with fair pricing, are they worth buying now? Unfortunately, probably not, as it is the wrong vintage at the wrong time with available stock of more attractive vintages at favourable prices, although there may potentially be the odd exception. If they are ahead of 2014 levels, then I think the Bordelais will have a real problem on their hands. Obviously, not all Châteaux have the ability to drop prices by a set percentage – those lower down the pyramid do not have the scope for 50% reductions, hence looking back to 2014 releases levels may well act as a fair barometer. I cannot conclude this piece without returning to the actual reasons for purchasing en primeur. The following questions are crucial to its appeal: Does this price represent the best price at which the wine will be offered? Is there a financial advantage to buying now? Will the wine sell out and therefore not be available in the market when it is drinking in say 5/6 years’ time? Of course there are other minor reasons to buy en primeur, but if these key questions aren’t satisfied, then there is no compulsion to act early. And in a market that has seen values of great vintages fall, the gulf between the price of a great year like 2019 and an average year like 2024 has narrowed considerably. Sticking with Lynch-Bages as an example, the 2019 is available for £435 per 6 bottle case in bond in the market. In summary, 2024 is releasing at a very awkward moment – the consumer or collector has access to innumerable opportunities to buy back vintages at favourable prices and a tough vintage, even if released at a fair price, is unlikely to be much of a call to action with such a backdrop. An exciting vintage with the current pressure to drop prices might have been a completely different story. To me, 2024 appears to be the wrong vintage entering the market at the wrong time. Simon Larkin MW23rd April 2025

2023 Burgundy: The Nuits-St Georges of Domaine Lécheneaut

The domaine has, yet again, produced some excellent wines and I have never quite understood why they don't sell for more than they do given the fine quality. Allen Meadows, burghound.com, January 2025 Could these be the most appealing wines yet from Domaine Lécheneaut? Allen Meadows tastes a serious quantity of Burgundy every year (and for many years) and even he observes, commenting on the 2023s, I have never quite understood why they don't sell for more than they do given the fine quality. Domaine Lécheneaut continues to offer astonishing value. We have long championed the wines of Vincent and Philippe Lécheneaut for this very reason. You get a lot of Burgundy for your money at this address. No fevered fadish fanaticism driving prices to 'impressive' heights. Instead just quiet, under the radar appreciation of vines well-tended and wines carefully crafted. Across the entire range, from Hautes Côtes de Nuits to Clos de la Roche, the wines show tremendous typicity, whether between the different villages or between Premiers Crus. Ever since we began offering these wines, we have marvelled at the incredible balance and harmony that the Lécheneaut family achieve, year-in-year-out in their wines. They have richness but also grace. They have power yet poise.The Lécheneauts are thoughtful, sensitive, attentive wine producers. They adapt to the vintage and remain highly attuned to their vineyards and their vines. As we have written on numerous previous occasions, we were directed to them on account of their meticulous viticulture. It has only become more meticulous with time as vintages continue to present new challenges in ways that could not have been envisaged by their forefathers.The 2023 season was labour-intensive, if you wanted to avoid enormous yields. The Lécheneauts remove buds very early in the cycle as standard practice in order to control yield. In 2023 they also had to drastically green harvest, removing bunches, at later points. They harvested from 8th September but, due to the heat, they only picked in the mornings and then held the fruit in cold rooms to bring the temperature down to 5 degrees Celsius before allowing fermentations to begin. The fruit itself was clean, healthy and ripe, something that comes across noticeably in the wines. There is also noticeable depth of colour; there was no whole bunch in 2023, instead 100% of the fruit was destemmed, as this was what they felt the vintage dictated. Indeed Jasper Morris comments on this, highlighting also the balance, elegance and harmony of this set of wines, writing: Such deep powerful colours, but in the end wines which consistently come across as much more refined on the palate.In the words of Vincent himself: As to the wines, it's interesting as they seem to have become more interesting month by month. As such, I hesitate to put them in a box but at this point in their evolution, I would describe them as resembling our 2017s but with more underling material. But also like 2017, the '23s should be approachable young but have no difficulty aging.I think I would have to agree, there is an appealing approachability to the 2023s yet they do not lack a core of beautifully ripe, fresh fruit allied to fine structure and that beguiling harmony. They will certainly drink well early, much like the 2017s, but they will age gracefully too. And all without breaking the bank.Domaine Lécheneaut, Hautes-Côtes de Nuits 2023£120 per 6 bottle case in bondNow 100% aged in 450 litre barrels. Really fresh and flowing red fruit with a gentle mineral touch. Good balance and elegantly weighted palate. Lovely fruit and drinkability. Drink 2026-2030 (ROM)Domaine Lécheneaut, Côte de Nuits-Villages, Clos de Magny 2023£150 per 6 bottle case in bondFrom a parcel of 70–80-year-old vines. There is a pure core of dark cherry fruit on the nose. The palate shows a lovely sense of precision and freshness together with a balancing mineral energy. Good fruit intensity at its core and a white stone drive at the end. Drink 2026-2033 (ROM)Domaine Lécheneaut, Morey-St Denis 2023£210 per 6 bottle case in bondThere is a notable and characteristic spicy touch on the nose, blue fruit and a touch of pepper. Excellent purity and harmony through the palate. This is consistently such a beautifully balanced and well-expressed Morey villages from the Lécheneaut family. It always retains a sense of energy and persistence due to the vineyard position high up the slope above the Grands Crus. Drink 2027-2035 (ROM)Domaine Lécheneaut, Chambolle-Musigny 2023£250 per 6 bottle case in bondInitially quite closed but opening to a core of scented, floral red cherry fruit. The palate replicates the fruit of the nose, all carried on a palate of silky poise. Fresh, flowing, elegant, and with a perfectly judged chalky grip towards the finish. The tannins show finesse and there is a fine sense of harmony. Drink 2027-2035 (ROM)Domaine Lécheneaut, Nuits-St Georges 2023£210 per 6 bottle case in bondShowing really well again in 2023, the Nuits-St Georges villages displays a pristine fruit purity of dark cherry and raspberry fruit. There is a seamless quality here with fine-grained tannins framing a classically styled Nuits of underlying presence and over-riding harmony, with most of the fruit being form the northern, Vosne side, of Nuits. Drink 2027-2035 (ROM)Domaine Lécheneaut, Nuits-St Georges, Au Chouillet 2023£240 per 6 bottle case in bondTighter, more closed but also more concentrated than the straight Nuits-St Georges, the Chouillet is pure and intensely concentrated in its red fruit profile. There is a fluidity and a gracefulness through the palate, on which the tannins present themselves with great finesse. Drink 2027-2035 (ROM)Domaine Lécheneaut, Nuits-St Georges 1er Cru, Les Damodes 2023£360 per 6 bottle case in bondBeautifully pure ripe fruit leads into a palate that has an elegant flow and sense of balance, the tannins are fine and ripe, giving a framing structure but not asserting. Instead, this remains fresh, elegant and gourmand. Drink 2028-2038 (ROM)Domaine Lécheneaut, Nuits-St Georges 1er Cru, Aux Argillas 2023£360 per 6 bottle case in bondThere is a noticeably deeper colour in the Argillas, which Jules Lecheneaut explains is due to the high susceptibility to millerandage, giving a proportion of particularly small grapes within a bunch. The resultant concentration of fruit is complemented by spice notes. This is intense and rich in fruit but perfectly counterbalanced by its poised structure. “Best ever” as some might say… Drink 2028-2038 (ROM)Domaine Lécheneaut, Nuits- St Georges 1er Cru, Les Pruliers 2023£360 per 6 bottle case in bondOn the day of tasting, Les Pruliers was particularly reticent and difficult to taste, like Les Pruliers of old. Underneath there was fine red fruit and the benchmark Pruliers mineral power and energy. This will be very good but needs time. Drink 2030-2040 (ROM)Domaine Lécheneaut, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru, Borniques 2023£480 per 6 bottle case in bondThere is a good depth of colour, again due to a susceptibility to millerandage. Lovely scented sweet dark cherry fruit. Balanced volume and a silky freshness to the palate, which shows fine mineral length and presence. Fine poise. Really good. Drink 2028-2038 (ROM)Domaine Lécheneaut, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru 2023£600 per 3 bottle case in bondFine concentration of blue fruit and spice. This is subtly powerful and spreads across the palate with beautifully expressed, concentrated fruit. The tannins are very, very fine and give structure while mineral direction gives length. Gently mouthwatering at the end but also very mineral and saline. Finishes with incredible persistence. Drink 2028-2040 (ROM) Another joyously successful set of wines from Domaine Lécheneaut and ones that will give great drinking pleasure within a few short years even if they will keep for many years too.Please let us know of your interest.Richard O'Mahony, January 2025richard.omahony@atlasfinewines.com

2023 Burgundy: The Chassagne-Montrachet of Domaine Morey-Coffinet

2023 Burgundy: The Chassagne-Montrachet of Domaine Morey-CoffinetThe Morey-Coffinet style is for relatively fine-boned white wines.Jasper Morris MW, insideburgundy.com, December 2024 There is a lot of noise at this time of year, when the new Burgundy releases come onto the market. It can be hard to pick your way through the numerous offers. At Atlas, we focus on a tight group of domaines that have impressed, and continue to impress, us with the quality of their wines and the value they offer.Historically, we have felt obliged to drop estates whose prices have shot up out of kilter with reality, or where quality has proved to be less than consistent. It is our aim to ensure the Burgundian domaines that we represent deliver quality and value for our clients.Domaine Morey-Coffinet may not be a familiar name to many, but the following is growing and rightly so. We have been increasingly impressed by Thibault Morey's wines over the last four or five years; he is one grower who has adapted his viticultural and winemaking approaches to retain elegance and poise in his wines in the face of more challenging conditions in modern day Burgundy. We predict a bright future for this Chassagne-Montrachet domaine and would encourage our clients to benefit from buying these wines as soon as possible, before demand starts to influence price.Thibault Morey is possessed of a calmness and serenity that seem to infuse his beautiful range of Chassagne-Montrachet, which show such a strong sense of harmony and a pristine purity. As Jasper Morris writes above, these are fine-boned white wines. I would agree. There is something magically refined and elegant about the Morey-Coffinet wines, an ability to retain a purity and precision that flies in the face of the warmer vintages we are seeing. In his crypt-like cellars, I tasted a 2019 and a 2017 En Caillerets; both warm vintages, both wines that showed near piercing purity and mineral energy, with all of that already-mentioned harmony.Domaine Morey-Coffinet was established in 1980 by Thibault's father Michel, who was married to Fabienne Coffinet. She herself was from the combined winemaking families of Cecile Pillot and Fernand Coffinet. Some combined heritage then! The estate now covers 9 hectares almost exclusively within Chassagne-Montrachet itself. Under Thibault, viticulture has become increasingly respectful and sensitive, with organic certification granted in 2018 and biodynamic principles espoused since 2015. Much of the ploughing is done by horse - or by electric tractor. Sheep roam the vineyards after harvest in the autumn. In terms of wine-making, the fruit undergoes a long, slow pressing with minimal sulphur use before fermentation and ageing in generally larger oak vessels and in amphorae. Everything is done to maintain fruit purity, to maximise vineyard expression and to retain elegance and tension.The reds too should not be underestimated. Les Chaumes comes from two parcels of 50 year old vines while the Clos Saint Jean is from a 0.2 hectare plot behind the family home at the top of the village. The latter was originally an orchard but was planted with Pinot Noir in the 1970s. In the words of Jasper Morris: Great choice! The fruit is attractively pure with a sensual finesse and unobtrusive tannins.Morey-Coffinet continues to impress with its crystalline whites and its flowing, beautifully balanced reds all of which express their vineyards with an effortless grace.Behind that calmness and serenity there is unmistakeable passion and an obsessive drive to produce wines that reflect and communicate a land respected. These are exceptional wines and continue to offer exceptional value for Burgundy of this quality.Domaine Morey-Coffinet, Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge, Les Chaumes 2023£180 per 6 bottle case in bondScented pure red fruit. Aromatic. Healthy. Mineral palate – focused, tensile. Good red fruit and white stone finish. Fresh and finessed with good vibrancy and energy. A value pick. (ROM) Drink 2027-2035Domaine Morey-Coffinet, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Rouge, Clos St Jean 2023£300 per 6 bottle case in bondElegant cherry fruit nose. Really pure. Mouthwatering palate with a clean mineral presence. Structured elegance. Soft-skinned fruit quality on late palate – cushioned, layered, silky – yet still with a stony grip on the finish. Very good. (ROM) Drink 2027-2035Domaine Morey-Coffinet, Chassagne-Montrachet 2023£245 per 6 bottle case in bondLovely ripe, white stone fruit and citrus notes. This is all about harmony and drinkability but with tension and direction. Excellent, as we have come to expect from Thibault Morey. Tremendous freshness and energy at the end. (ROM) Drink 2026-2032Domaine Morey-Coffinet, Chassagne-Montrachet, Les Houillères 2023£300 per 6 bottle case in bondThe nose seems to promise a certain mineral tension. Ripe, fresh citrus and peach notes are supported by a subtle creamy touch also. The palate is fruit-filled and mouth-watering with an appealing grip towards the end. Gentle but persistent mineral length, as promised. Showing the quality derived of 60 to 70-year-old vines. (ROM) Drink 2026-2032Domaine Morey-Coffinet, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru, En Cailleret 2023£390 per 6 bottle case in bondTight and closed. Creamy peach and pear notes emerge. Soft, ripe, fresh orchard fruit. Pure fruit and energy. The palate shows a touch of citrus as well as the same soft white stone fruit notes. Lovely tension at the end but with a richness of juicy fruit and a pithy grip. On the long finish there is poise and restraint allied to a focused purity. (ROM) Drink 2027-2035Domaine Morey-Coffinet, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru, La Romanée 2023£435 per 6 bottle case in bondFrom a single parcel just below the forests at the top of the hill above Chassagne and vines planted in 1957. Currently more expressive on the nose than the Cailleret. Yellow citrus and peach. Subtlety and dynamism. The palate is taut and tensile through the middle. Very fine and focussed. Great persistence with a touch of promising youthful austerity. (ROM) Drink 2027-2035Domaine Morey-Coffinet, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru, Les Pucelles 2023£660 per 6 bottle case in bondVery pure, very classic white flower aromatics together with yellow and green citrus. Lovely sense of tension beneath the ripe, fresh fruit. Beautifully focused and linear in a very positive sense. Excellent energy with mineral presence emerging towards the end. Great persistence and energy, typical of this leading premier cru that adjoins Batard-Montrachet. (ROM) Drink 2028-2038SOLD OUTDomaine Morey-Coffinet, Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru 2023£990 per 3 bottle case in bond (very limited availability)Gentle toast notes. Creamy fruit but quite withdrawn at the moment on the nose. The palate is tight and focused with the fruit fanning out on the mid-palate with the finish showing all the quality of a Grand Cru with astonishing persistence. (ROM) Drink 2028-2038Another very fine set of wines from Thibault Morey and Domaine Morey-Coffinet. Looking forward to hearing from you at richard.omahony@atlasfinewines.com Richard O'Mahony, January 2025

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Domaine Méo-Camuzet 2020

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