Pre Arrival Domaine Albert Morot Beaune 1er Cru "Toussaints" 2015

89-92 BH

Notes:

Bright ruby-red. Rather powerful, wild scents of blackberry, leather and game display very good lift. Dense, sappy and taut on the palate, but with a subtle touch of sweetness to the concentrated, slightly rustic flavors of black cherry and leather. The full tannins are spicy, not dry, with the finish displaying a subtle saline quality. Serious material here. Vinous/Tanzer 89-91

Reduction presently renders the nose tough to assess but there is good freshness to the very rich, concentrated and mouth coating flavors that are also quite generously proportioned. The ample amounts of dry extract impart a velvety, even opulent palate impression that also buffers the medium firm tannins on the slightly warm finish. This easy-to-like effort should drink reasonably well early if preferred. Burghound 89-92

Producer: Domaine Albert Morot is a historic Beaune estate whose origins date to 1820, initially as a négociant business. Vineyard acquisition began during the phylloxera era in the late 19th century, eventually giving the domaine a collection centered on Beaune Premier Cru vineyards. For the 2015 vintage, the estate was directed by Geoffroy Choppin de Janvry, who took charge in 2000 and moved the vineyards progressively toward organic viticulture. 2015 was the first vintage for which Domaine Albert Morot was officially certified organic. The estate farmed roughly eight hectares at the time, with holdings including Les Toussaints, Les Bressandes, Les Teurons, Les Cent-Vignes, Les Aigrots, Les Marconnets and Les Grèves in Beaune, along with the monopole La Bataillère aux Vergelesses in Savigny-lès-Beaune. The domaine’s deep, naturally cool cellars are also significant to its élevage, allowing malolactic fermentation to proceed slowly.
Vineyard: Les Toussaints is a Beaune Premier Cru climat, and Albert Morot farms approximately 0.77 hectare there. The parcel has a southeasterly exposure, with soils composed of limestone, clay and silt. The vineyard sits within the central portion of Beaune’s Premier Cru belt, and the domaine notes that relatively few producers bottle Les Toussaints under the climat name. The name translates literally as “All Saints,” and the domaine describes the vineyard as being “placed under the protection of all the saints.” In 2015, Morot’s Toussaints yielded approximately 33 hl/ha, compared with an estate-wide average reported by Vinous at approximately 28 hl/ha in the finished-wine review. The growing season produced considerable millerandage and concentrated fruit, while harvest at Morot took place during the first week of September.
Winemaking: Geoffroy Choppin de Janvry harvested the domaine’s 2015 reds between September 2 and 7, in dry conditions, with potential alcohol generally around 13%. A new destemmer introduced that year allowed Morot to retain a greater proportion of whole, uncrushed berries during vinification. Fermentation temperatures were kept below 29°C, and extraction was deliberately moderated: approximately one pigeage per day was used initially, followed by remontage after the first several days of fermentation. The wines underwent malolactic fermentation slowly in Morot’s deep, cold cellar and remained in their original barrels without racking while malo was finishing. This relatively restrained extraction is especially relevant in a concentrated vintage such as 2015, when Choppin de Janvry initially worried that the wines might become heavy.
Technical Details: Beaune Premier Cru AOC; Les Toussaints climat; 2015 vintage; 100% Pinot Noir; approximately 0.77-hectare domaine parcel; southeast exposure; limestone, clay and silt soils; certified-organic estate beginning with the 2015 vintage; harvest September 2–7, 2015 across the domaine; approximately 13% potential alcohol at harvest; Toussaints yield approximately 33 hl/ha; new destemmer used to preserve a higher proportion of uncrushed berries; fermentation temperatures below 29°C; initial pigeage followed by remontage; slow malolactic fermentation in the domaine’s cool cellar. A finished bottle listing records 13% ABV. Where exact Toussaints-specific details such as percentage of new oak and total barrel-aging duration could not be reliably confirmed for the 2015, I have left them out rather than applying the domaine’s practices from another vintage.
Food Pairing: Roast duck, duck breast, roast chicken, guinea fowl, pork tenderloin, veal with mushrooms, beef tenderloin, coq au vin, mushroom tart, lentils with smoked pork, Époisses and Cîteaux. The combination of Pinot Noir, Beaune Premier Cru structure and the concentration of the 2015 vintage makes the wine particularly appropriate with roasted poultry, pork, veal and moderately rich mushroom preparations. Its acidity can cut through rendered fat and cream-based sauces, while mature examples can work especially well with earthy mushroom dishes and washed-rind Burgundian cheeses.