02 Feb 2021

This is our third year of offering Domaine Hudelot-Baillet's wines en primeur, having begun with the 2017 vintage.  Along the way, we have had the opportunity to watch the earlier vintages develop, confirming our view that winemaker Dominique Le Guen is a rising star of Chambolle-Musigny.   Dominique's muscular, concentrated style of winemaking often requires a few years in bottle to allow the tannins to develop, but the 2019s are silky, elegant and relatively forward.

 

 

After a career in the French airforce, Dominique took over the winemaking at Domaine Hudelot-Baillet from his father-in-law in 2004 and the wines have gained steadily in stature.  He comes across as earnest and practical, determined and focused on detail.  His winemaking approach includes destemming and cool maceration for the red wines, with punching down, remontage and delestage, to extract the supple tannins from the skins rather than the pips.  The wines are aged in between a third and a half new oak.

The Bourgogne Pinot Noir and Hautes Côtes de Nuits stand out as structured, full-bodied red burgundies, but at just a third to a half of the price of the village and premier cru wines.  With one to two years of cellaring after landing, these are both superb value 'everyday' red burgundies. 

The step up to the Chambolle wines comes not so much in power but in their extremely fine tannins.  "Les Charmes" is always a favourite, the most linear and overtly mineral of the three.  "Les Cras" has a brooding power which only begins to show itself after six or seven years.  The "Borniques" vineyard neighbours the Musigny grand cru and is a little known name which we suspect may be made more famous by Dominique...a potential investment wine. 

Quantities are painfully limited, so do please let us know as soon as possible if you would like to add any of these to your cellar.

Offered En Primeur, wines due to land in the UK in autumn 2021.

Producer Profile

Domaine Hudelot-Baillet, Chambolle-Musigny

This small 8-hectare domaine is based in the centre of Chambolle-Musigny and has excellent holdings in the premiers crus of 'Les Charmes' and 'Les Borniques', as well as a tiny parcel in the Bonnes Mares Grand Cru.  Hâutes Côtes de Nuits is also a strength, with the vines lying on the hills above Chambolle itself.  This reputation of the domaine is largely due to the efforts of Dominique Le Guen, who began working here in 1998, after a career in the French airforce, when his father-in-law was reaching retirement.  At that stage, Dominique, a Breton by birth, had no winemaking experience.  His first solus vintage was in 2002.  The domaine was almost moribund when he took it on, but his meticulous, hardworking approach has made it "one to watch".

Dominique's winemaking approach includes destemming and cool maceration for the red wines, with punching down, remontage and delestage, to extract the supple tannins from the skins rather than the pips.  The wines are aged in between a third and a half new oak.