Description
Tasting with Jean-Claude May 2023
Jean-Claude Janin acquired 9-hectares of wonderful old vines in 2006 from his wife Marie-Odile’s family. Prior to this he had worked for 16 years as the technical director and winemaker for the co-operative, the Cave de Viré. He was amazingly fortunate that the vineyard is located on some of the best slopes of this northern part of the Mâcon appellation with some of the oldest vines. Last year they inherited a further 12 hectares of very old vines. The vineyard is now 24 hectares in total.
They constructed a small but immaculate winery, where they make tiny quantities of handcrafted wines that are snapped up by private customers and Swiss and American wine importers.
In his quest for innovation Jean-Claude now makes a small selection of wine from 70-year old vines in best vintages, which is aged in clay amphora. The principle is that these encourage subtle oxygenation and result in greater complexity of flavour. We have tasted it and it was a revelation! There’s not enough for us to buy, but we’re hopeful that we can get an allocation in the future!
After the enormous success of our shipments of their 2015s, 2016s and then the 2019s, we have been blown away by the 2022’s! Above all they are focussed on the fruit and the minerality of the terroir, in a way that is normally only evident in the wines of the Côte d’Or, such as Puligny Montrachet.
The 2022 vintage : July and August were there honest for 30 years, but some light rain in August helped to produce a ripe and very healthy vintage with gentle balancing acidity and good concentration. They are drinking beautifully at this stage, but they will gain in complexity over the next five years.
Hand-crafted wines of this quality, made from vines of this venerable age and from such a wonderful terroir are incredibly hard to find. They represent truly outstanding value for money!
We have chosen the delightful Cuvée Beracius from the Mâcon villages appellation and the outstanding Fontenay from the appellation of Viré-Clessé, which produces wines of the same quality as their prestigious neighbour, Pouilly-Fuissé.
A Mixed Half Dozen consists of 2 bottles of each of the following 3 wines –
Domaine des Terres de Chatenay, Cuvée Béracius 2022
AOP Mâcon Villages
Amazingly the vines of this cuvée are on average 70 years old. The vinification is is stainless steel, and there is no oak ageing. This wine is all about preserving the pure fruit flavours.
Pale green/lemon in colour, this has a fresh honeyed nose. In the mouth it is buttery with peach and baked apple/cloves flavours, with a wonderful purity. It finishes with a hint of lemon zest, racy mineral acidity and great length.
It punches way above its weight, tasting like a much more expensive white Burgundy.
Domaine des Terres de Chatenay, Quintaine 2022
AOP Viré-Clessé
Made from 75-year-old Chardonnay vines on a terroir of fossilised oyster shells, next to the church in the hameau of Quintaine, this is rich, honeyed and elegant with hints of cinnamon, good balancing acidity, and a mineral finish.
A wine that evolves in complexity in the glass, this is stunning value for this quality.
Domaine des Terres de Chatenay, Fontenay 2022
AOP Viré-Clessé
Made from another old vine plot – now with an average age of 90 years. In this case 10% of the wine is aged in oak barrels.
This has a gorgeous welcoming nose that shouts quality white Burgundy – complex aromas of melon, wet stone and butterscotch. It has greater concentration, with more complexity and minerality, and there is wonderful balancing acidity that underpins whole. There is a long mineral finish.
This combines some of the flavour profile of a Pouilly-Fuissé with some of the style and complexity of a Meursault. Comparable Viré-Clessés of this quality retail around £19 a bottle…
