Digioia Royer - 2021

While I want to tell you a bit about Michel Digioia, let’s first take a moment to talk about vintages because I’m not sure most collectors understand what 2021 is all about. While I’ve been harping on this to the point you might be getting suspicious it’s a sales angle, I’m not sure I’ve explained it well enough.

There’s no sales angle, just Mother Nature. The cooler growing season of the 2021 vintage brought us back to a time when Burgundy wines struggled for ripeness. The flavors are not black fruited, nor overpowering, which is something that has become the norm for the riper years we have seen in 2018, 2019, 2020 and will be seeing again in 2022 and 2023. To the contrary, 2021 offers an elegant style; one that reveals transparency, subtlety, freshness and energy. I compare the vintage to 2001. Ask anyone that has been drinking Burgundy for a while - most wish they would have gone a whole lot deeper with 2001. I think in years to come people will be saying the same about 2021.

As for Michel Digioia, he has been running the Domaine since 1999. There are 4.5 hectares of vines with 50% being made up of regional wines (Bourgogne, Hauts Cotes de Nuits etc) and 50% Chambolle Musigny, with approximately 1 barrel each of 1er cru.

Michel Digioia de-stems 100% and there is little to no punching down performed. The use of new barrels is kept to around 20% which would translate into 2 new barrels of the 10 produced for his Chambolle Vieilles Vignes. Since there is only 1 barrel usually for the 1er crus, it's never a new barrel.

Trying something new, I’ve continued the story and my notes with each bottle of wine on offer today.