France Archives

November 9, 2022November 9, 2022

2019 Rully Clos de Bellecroix

2019 Rully Clos de Bellecroix of Jean-Baptiste Jessiaume is a white wine, made from Chardonnay. Rully is an area known for white and red wines. Crémant de Bourgogne, the sparkling wine of the Burgundy area, is also being made with grapes from that area. The soil is of limestone-clay. JB Jessiaume uses grapes from a small parcel of only 0,8 hectares. The harvest of the grapes is manual. Pressing is done without prior destemming. Following short maceration, fermentation of the must takes place in casks. Maturation follows, with 12 months in barrique, whereof 10.-15% are new.

Straw colour, brilliant. In the nose, you find aromas of white fruit, in particular, white peach. Also, there are notes of fresh almond, a very slight hint of butter and a flowery touch. On the palate, the wine is dry, with medium acidity, a round mouthfeel, and in addition to the aromas noticed in the nose there is a hint of spices. All in all, the 2020 Rully Clos de Bellecroix is a very nice fresh Chardonnay that harmonizes well with fish, shell fish but also with some cheese. Available in Brazil at Primeur Vinhos.

TBM 90-91 points.

2019 Rully Clos de Bellecroix Jean-Baptiste Jessiaume

November 8, 2022November 9, 2022

2019 Santenay “Clos du Haut Village” Jean-Baptiste Jessiaume

2019 Santenay “Clos du Haut Village” of Jean-Baptiste Jessiaume is a red wine from Burgundy. It is made applying biodynamic principles. The winery works with selected vintners whose grape production they supervise, as if they were their own vineyards.

This Santenay Village wine shows a rubi colour with some violet reflexes. In the nose, very pleasant and rather intense aromas of red fruit, like blue plum, raspberry, blueberry and red currant, with a touch of violet flower. In the palate, the red fruit shows itself nicely, the wine is dry, with medium acidity and silky tannins, quite round and with a long finish. This wine is still young, but ready to be enjoyed in its current fruit phase. It clearly has great potential, so if you want to store it for several years, there will be no problem. In Brazil, it is available at PRIMEUR Vinhos.

TBM 92 points.

November 5, 2022

2020 Château d’Aiguilhe

2020 Château d’Aiguilhe is a wine from Côte de Castillon, Bordeaux, made by Stephan von Neipperg. The Neipperg is a winemaking family, since around 900 years… the elder brother, the Erbgraf von Neipperg, runs the winery in Schwaigern, Germany, which makes excellent wines (Lemberger, Pinot Noir, Riesling and others). Stephan von Neipperg purchased several wineries in Bordeaux, in particular Canon-La Gaffelière. The d’Aiguilhe was launched to have a more accessible, but great Bordeaux. It is made with 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc.

Dark rubi colour with slight violet reflexes. In the nose, dark red fruit – dark cherry in the first nose, but also blueberry and blue plum, hint of flowery notes and spices. On the palate, the wine is dry, medium acidity, tannins quite pronounced but velvety. Pleasant mouthfeel, good length. Great value for money.

TBM 89-90 points.

November 2, 2022November 9, 2022

2020 Chardonnay Jean-Baptiste Jessiaume

The 2020 Chardonnay Jean-Baptiste Jessiaume is a wonderful white Burgundy wine. It is made with Chardonnay grapes from the Santenay region, manually harvested. Gently pressed with whole stems, the must is decanted and then put to fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Maturation 12 months 50% in cuves and 50% in barrels. Jean-Baptiste Jessiaume is a young winery that is based on old family tradition.

Straw colour, with greenish reflexes. In the nose, aromas of white fruit, apple, some citric notes and white flowers. On the palate, the wine is dry and fresh, with a great mouthfeel and a nicely long finish. Great wine at an excellent price-quality-relationship. Available in Brazil at PRIMEUR.

TBM 88 points.

October 30, 2022October 30, 2022

2019 Volnay Jean-Baptiste Jessiaume

This 2019 Volnay is a red wine from Burgundy at the “Village” level, made by Jean-Baptiste Jessiaume. The Jessiaume family in Santenay has a long history of wine making. They used to own the Domaine Jessiaume but at some point had to sell. Not giving up, Jean-Baptiste Jessiaume, together with his brother Stan and his father Marc Jessiaume created a new, small winery that is making some fantastic wines.

Deep purple color. Complex aromas of red fruit in the nose, with some sous-bois. Notes of raspberry, cherry, red currant and blue plum. On the palate, the wine is dry, fruity, with medium-low acidity and very gentle, silky tannins. A real pleasure. I had it with a plate of venison… Pinot Noir harmonises wonderfully with game dishes. A great wine that shows that Jean-Baptiste Jessiaume is doing a great job in wine making. A name to be remembered.

TBM 94 points.

October 24, 2022October 26, 2022

2019 IP blanc Clos Venturi

The 2019 IP blanc Clos Venturi is a white wine from Corsica, made with the Vermentino grape. The “IP” name comes from the Corsican words Invechjamentu Prolungatu – extended maturation. Biodynamic viticulture (both in the vineyards and the cellar). Limestone soil. Manual harvest, carefully selected grapes. Pressing after complete destemming. 48-72 hours of cold maceration. Temperature controlled fermentation with indigenous yeasts. Maturation on fine lees with battonage for two years (14 months in concrete vats). No clarification. Decanting after cold settling (naturally low temperature in the cellar in the winter). Clos Venturi is adding very little sulphites, only 15mg free sulphites. The sulphur that is used is a mineral sulphur, especially produced (jointly with five other vintners), much more pure than what is commonly used.

Straw colour. Complex aromas of white flowers, citrus fruit, wax, honey and some herbal and mineral notes. Dry with medium acidity on the palate. A great Vermentino, which has the potential to be stored for some years.

TBM 90 points.

October 23, 2022October 28, 2022

2020 Altare blanc Clos Venturi

The 2020 Altare blanc Clos Venturi is a white wine blend made of Biancu Gentile, Genovese e Vermentino from Corsica, France. It owes its name to two plots of vineyards terraces that are shaped in the form of an altar. This vineyard is being worked on with horses, no machines. Manual harvest. Very low yield, only 28hl per hectare. The grapes undergo vinification separately in vats of 12hl with indigenous yeast. The blending takes place thereafter. Maturation in large barrels (foudre) during 14 to 18 months. No clarification, no filtering. 2.000 bottles made, according to Eric Mialhe who gave the explanations to me at the Gerstl tasting.

Straw colour. In the nose, complex aromas of citrus and other yellow fruit, with a floral hint, nice mineral notes. On the palate, the wine is dry, fresh – a medium acidity, round. The fruity aromas are very pleasant, the wine appears creamy and a bit spicy. Really great expression of its terroir.

TBM 91 points.

Foto credit: Comptoir des Millésimes.

October 23, 2022October 28, 2022

2019 Chiesa Nera blanc Clos Venturi

The 2019 Chiesa Nera Blanc Clos Venturi is a white wine blend from Corsica, made from the grapes Biancu Gentile, Genovese e Vermentino. Limestone soil, south- southeast exposition. Manual harvest. Yield 30-35 hl per hectare. Biodynamic viticulture. Total destemming, followed by a cold maceration of 48 to 72 hours. Fermentation in egg-shaped concrete tanks, and based on autochthonous yeast. Maturation during 12 months in the concrete tank, on fine lees. Thereafter, further maturation during 4 to 8 months in the bottle. No clarification and no filtration of the wine.

This wine has a beautiful straw color. In the nose, you find aromas of white fruit, herbs and flowery notes, with hints of citric fruit and tangerines. Dense on the palate, with a wonderful freshness, this wine enchants with its play of the fruity notes. Very elegant wine. Tasted at the Gerstl autumn tasting in Sempach.

TBM 90 points

Foto credit: Comptoir des Millesimes

October 23, 2022October 26, 2022

2021 Clos Venturi blanc

The 2021 Clos Venturi blanc is a white wine from Corsica, made with the Vermentino grape. Clos Venturi works with biodynamic principles in the vineyards and the cellar. Limestone soil. Manual harvest. Cold maceration during up to 72 hours. Temperature controlled fermentation with indigenous yeasts. 8-9 months maturation on fine lees. No clarification. Light filtration after decantation (natural cold settling of the wine in the cellar). Yield 35hl per hectare.

Straw color with slight greenish reflexes. In the nose, the wine shows aromas of citric fruit, pineapple and pear. Dry with medium acidity on the palate, long finish. Beautiful white wine.

TBM 88 points.

October 23, 2022October 26, 2022

2021 Brama blanc Clos Venturi

The 2021 Brama blanc Clos Venturi is a white wine from Corsica, made with biodynamic principles in the vineyards and the cellar. It is made with the Biancu Gentile grape, autochthonous of Corsica. The limestone soil gives the wine a nice freshness. The yield is only 30 hl per hectare. Spontaneous fermentation in concrete vats. Maturing 8 months on fine lees. No clarification, light filtration after natural cooling (cellar gets rather cold in the winter). Tasted at the Gerstl tasting on 23 October 2022.

Straw color. In the nose, yellow and citric fruit. On the palate, the wine is dry, with nice acidity, round and with good body and structure.

TBM 87 points.