Meursault Clos du Pré de Manche

Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris

Robe is very similar to the Meursault – the green highlights are perhaps more pronounced here. The feast of freshness continues with this Pré du Manche but this Meursault is more immediately sensual; pear, white peach and apple are finely caramelised; a note of very ripe apricot; a mix of Boskoop and Canadian Reinette compote; a body of water, water plants, a humid thicket, bark. In contrast to the village, this terroir boasts aromas that evoke white meat; notes of sensual mushrooms similar to porcini; ‘hot’ lactic notes reminiscent of Bresse poultry or sweetbread; butter that is somewhat lukewarm here; a thicker and warmer crème fraîche; white meat juices; a note of caramelised roast meat, somewhere between Crema Catalana and roast chicken. A ‘je ne sais quoi’, evoking cream puffs or Saint-Honoré cake.
Honey from the Causses and a touch of nutmeg.
Palate is full-bodied, supple, opulent; fattier and more sensual than that of the Meursault; sappy white fruit; roasted pear and apple coulis; melted butter; creamy poultry supreme; a very ripe apricot note; warm marmalade; apricot jelly with a hint of greengage. The maturation process is already almost integrated; a note of nutmeg remains on the palate and a white meat component – guinea fowl, in particular, and other meat, not necessarily white; bolet mushrooms.
A full-bodied finish; enduring opulence right to the finish; volume and power; persistence laden with fruit; a sensation more of clay than limestone; a progression of peppers throughout the finish. Substantial length.
Will be ready to drink sooner than the village; it is likely, in five years, to pair perfectly with white meats such as veal chops with mushrooms and puree or, for those who can’t wait that long, a breaded veal cutlet with tagliatelle should go down well.

Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris

The oil of dried fruit on the nose – almond oil and hazelnut oil; fruit coulis – of pear, white peach, vine peach, apricot kernel, a touch of blood orange, mango, pineapple. When aerated, a complex spice mix of incense, bergamot, grey pepper, juniper berries; on top of that, gunpowder, eucalyptus and resin.
The palate is full and generous, a silky, oily mouthfeel; powerful candied citrus fruits, strong saffron, curry and bird’s eye chilli pepper, coulis of mango mixed with apricot, coulis of pineapple mixed with yellow peach, the energy of citrus peel and pepper – Sichuan pepper, nutmeg; add Mirabelle plum jam, marmalade with a hint of apricot, Cavaillon melon, rhubarb and barley sugar, orange fruit paste, piment d’Espelette; limestone that exudes empyreumatic flavours, limestone in flames, or limestone cooked on the plancha.
Sapid finish, focused; precise minerality with orange seeds and apricot kernel, yellow peach kernel and a violent deluge of various peppers.
We are drawn to fried, flambéed, seared dishes, or use Cognac, Armagnac, Calvados; with Béarnaise sauce, mustard sauce, masala, tandoori cooking, complex curries with prawns or chicken.

Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris

Freshness; the presence of flowing water can be felt here, the sensation of a river; the sweetness of a spring vegetable, calm and voluptuous; we get more aromatic plants than spices, but naming them is not easy; variations on pears – Comice, Williams; banana (but nothing to do with yeast here); a note close to guava or custard apple from Puligny, even if we couldn’t be further away, being, so to speak, in Volnay; discreet caramel mixed with creamy coffee, then evolving towards vanilla, custard, fleurette cream; a touch of sage, another of rhubarb, both hiding in the wings; fresh limestone, wet with rain; small white flowers, barely open.
Barley sugar and caramel on the palate; sensual but spicy; saffron, chilli, Sichuan pepper, increasingly intense; caramelised baked peach; four spices, bergamot; pears and apples that show both grilled and fresh fruit flavours; energy, burning freshness to put it simply.
Particularly intense finish, empyreumatic, racy and expressive; focused and precise; a fresh finish (a breath of fresh mint) despite the power of the spices; great persistence here too, and a surprisingly fresh final sensation. Pré de Manche was already superb in 2019 and succeeds in bringing opposites together; wonderful maturity; empyreumatic but superbly fresh at the same time; a lively and expressive vegetal character. Caramel and fresh lavender, roasted fruit and fresh limestone.

Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris

This new wine has just been released. The domaine works these plots very close to Santenots and Caillerets. They may be small and not very well known, but that could change – especially when you consider that the wines of Lalou Bize-Leroy that come from this plot are not exactly ‘within everyone’s reach’.
Bright light gold robe. A gourmet and sensual nose of praline nuts, gently candied white fruits, milk chocolate and white coffee, barley sugar and orange blossom pound cake. The soil is expressed through notes of bergamot, crushed cloves, nutmeg and musk.
Very balanced on the palate – lots of fruit; carefully managed maturation; candied fruit, white peach, Passe Crassane pear, lightly caramelised apple, barley sugar; despite the distance, this Pré de Manche can recite Meursault by heart – this couldn’t come from anywhere but here!
Great flavour on the finish; focused; very pretty fruit, subtly underpinned by the soil; blood orange and barley sugar jellies, pralines and nutmeg, cane sugar and candied lemon; good length – a huge success. Pair with cooked shellfish or be bold and try Cantonese-style glazed pork or even, without the slightest intention of provocation, an American-style fried chicken, with a slightly spicy mayonnaise.