Pascal Aufranc - Chénas En Rémont Vignes de 1939 - 2018

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

Pascal Aufranc began his career as a winemaker with just 1.6 hectares, located on the steep hill of En-Rémont, at an altitude of 350 meters. It was here that he renovated an old farmhouse surrounded by vines planted in the 1930s. These vines, surrounded by oak trees (the name Chénas comes from these woods planted before the vines), now make up the estate's vineyard: 10 hectares, including 7 in Juliénas, 2 in Chénas, and 1 in Fleurie. This green setting, hidden from view but offering panoramic views, produces rich, spicy wines that are perfectly balanced by their granitic origins. The 2016 vintage is a success, particularly the estate's flagship cuvée, Probus. In 2017, wine lovers will prefer the Chénas and Fleurie vintages.

Bourgogne Aujourd'hui

About wine:

Produced from 70-year-old vines, this cuvée remains unshakably at the top of its class. 15,000 wonderful bottles of this Chénas were produced. Deep garnet color, aromas of fresh black fruits and spices... Concentrated, velvety, delicious, pure on the palate with a "Rhône" character and great length. Highest tasting score 18/20.

About the estate:

Pascal Aufranc started out in the business in 1993, and our tasting of old vintages presented in this issue shows that he has been producing excellent wines for a long time. His estate covers 9.5 hectares, half in Chénas and half in Juliénas. The estate's two flagship wines obtained the "best" rating for 2013 in their respective appellations. His Chénas Vigne de 1939 (year of planting), on pure pink granite, comes from two plots next to the estate (known as Rémont) covering a total of two hectares. The wine is dense, but undoubtedly a little finer and more rounded than the Probus cuvée. The latter is the "essence of Juliénas," a robust wine, structured for aging, from 50-55-year-old vines and three plots in the Les Crots and En Capitans climats on sandy-loam soils. Both wines are vinified in the same way, using whole bunches, "à la beaujolaise" and in toasted vats; a wooden grid placed over the grapes keeps them submerged in the juice. As for the Juliénas Les Cerisiers cuvée, it is anything but a showcase wine. The vines may be a little younger and the maceration periods a little shorter, but it is still a full-bodied, dense Juliénas. "There is fruit, but not only fruit," explains Pascal Aufranc. (5 vintages awarded by Bourgogne Aujourd'hui)

Wine Enthusiast

James Suckling