Philippe Collotte Marsannay le Clos de Jeu

點擊次數(shù)：4331

The 2010 Marsannay Le Clos de Jeu is the fleshiest of these 2010 Marsannays. Layers of dark red fruit, flowers and spices caress the palate in this supple, radiant wine. This shows lovely mid-palate presence and plenty of depth within the context of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2020. This is another gorgeous set of wines from Philippe Collotte. I admit I have an overall preference for the 2009s, especially the Marsannays, because of their radiance and pure seductiveness. The 2010s are much more linear in style and at times come across as a bit compact, which is the nature of the year.Importer: Peter Weygandt, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800

The 2009 Marsannay Le Clos de Jeu is flat-out superb. This is a big, juicy style of Marsannay loaded with dark fruit that flows across the palate with tons of intensity, length and sheer beauty. It is impossible not to love this wine. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2019. Importer: Peter Weygandt, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800

Collotte’s 2008 Marsannay Le Clos de Jeu features wild fennel and tart cherry tinged with white pepper, lemon zest, and cardamom. Firm and bright, it practically sizzles in pungency, rendering memorable invigoration, but also – like so many early-bottled Pinots of its vintage – seemingly locking in a memory of malic tartness (perhaps accentuated by late-dispersing CO2). Caution should be exercised both when pairing and cellaring this, although I’ll be very interested to witness how it evolves over the next several years. Ordinarily, one would expect the deeper, clay-rich soils of the Clos de Jeu to promote more depth of flavor, but presumably their water-retentiveness served for maintaining high acidity, and clay warms more slowly than rocks and pebbles. Philippe Collotte (for more about whom, and about his sites, consult issue 186) had a difficult 2008 vintage, with a couple of wines (including that from a small parcel of Gevrey handicapped by a big-berried clone) that I could not recommend.Importer: Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800

From 40 year old vines in an outstanding (and, I predict, some day well-known) site, Collotte’s 2007 Marsannay Le Clos de Jeu brims with bright red currant and sour cherry that put me in mind of 2008, and its fine-grained texture and saliva-inducing acidity come without any tart or hard strings attached. There isn’t much sense of mineral dimension here – at least as yet – but sheer sappy, pure fruit persistence carries the day, and I would have no compunction about holding this for up to 4-5 years. Philippe Collotte (for more about whom, and about his sites, consult issue 186) had a difficult 2008 vintage, with a couple of wines (including that from a small parcel of Gevrey handicapped by a big-berried clone) that I could not recommend.Importer: Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800

From 40 year old, tiny-clustered and millerandage-prone vines bordering Grasse-Tetes and Saint-Jacques, the Collotte 2006 Marsannay Le Clos De Jeu smells of bitter-sweet black fruits, peat, and dark-roast coffee. Yet for all of the darkness the aforementioned descriptors suggest, it is bright in its impression of fresh fruit, tart berry acidity, as well as in its chalky underpinnings. This is spare but concentrated and penetrating Pinot that may well improve in bottle for a couple of years, and should certainly prove versatile over the next 4-6. On the basis of a single Philippe Collotte 2005s (reviewed in issue 171) it was clear to me that his name belonged on the lengthening roster of Marsannay vintners seriously committed to quality, who as it happens are for the most part also proponents of organic viticulture and the rediscovery of early 20th century wine growing traditions. Collotte has built on the roughly eight acres around Marsannay that he inherited from his father, under whom the production was sold in barrel. The proprietors of the well-known Domaine Fougeray de Beauclair, incidentally, are cousins with whom Collette shares a courtyard.Importer: Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800