Domaine Chamonard Morgon Clos de Lys 1998 & 2011!
4/30/13 -
(Old vines at Domaine Chamonard)
Joseph Chamonard was one of the first growers in Morgon to adopt the ideas of Jules Chauvet and quietly made some of the greatest Beaujolais on his small estate. His daughter Genevieve and her husband Jean-Claude Chanudet took over the estate in 1990 and have continued to make small quantities of superb Morgon. Not as well known as Lapierre, Foillard, Descombes and other "stars" of the region, the wines of Domaine Chamonard are certainly of equal quality and deserve your attention. Although M. Chanudet eschews "biologique" certification, the vineyard work is exemplary, with only organic treatments and plowing in spring and early summer. The domaine has about 4 hectares of massale-selection vines averaging over 60 years-old, principally in the parcels of les Martillets, Chenes and Corcelette, planted at 10,000 vines per hectare. Harvests are late for maximum ripeness. Chanudet's winemaking is similar to others in Morgon, with a low temperature soak and a combination of carbonic maceration and conventional fermentation with indigenous yeasts, followed by 8 to 12 months in foudre. While the Chamonard Morgons are always fairly rich and full there is good acidity and balance - even in 2003 and 2009 (a particularly great vintage for Chamonard) the wines possessed earthy acidity and were not "hot" or over-ripe. Our friend Eric Texier, who is a big Chamonard fan, mentioned to us that the estate had released some fabulous 1998, which has happily just arrived in New York.
M. Chanudet has sent along this introduction: "1998 was an exceptional year for the Chanudet-Chamonard family. After many years together, we decided to go to the mayor, and Chamonard became Chanudet. That summer was lovely and warm, with healthy grapes in almost perfect weather. Because these were conditions for an emblematic vintage, we decided to keep 2,000 bottles of 1998 Morgon in our cellar. Fourteen years after bottling, we have released some of the bottles so that you can share our joy, and taste the aging potential and fine nuances of our developed Morgon."
It's a great pleasure to offer a mature wine alongside the current release - we thank M. and Mme. Chanudet for their generosity and we hope that all lovers of good Beaujolais will give these lovely wines a try. (And please note that Chanudet's 2011 Beaujolais-Villages "Cuvée du Chat" will be back in a few weeks. It's a remarkably delicious wine that will enliven your cook-outs, nicely chilled, all summer)
