Ric visits Domaine Morey-Coffinet

One of the brightest young stars of Chassagne is Domaine Morey-Coffinet, an estate formed in 1979 through the merger of Marc Morey and Fernand Coffinet. Managed by Marc’s grandson Thibault Morey since 2000, this domaine owns nice small chunks of choice plots of Chassagne totaling about 7 hectares viz Les Caillerets, La Romanée, Dent de Chien, and Blanchots Dessus, the latter both actually bordering on Montrachet Grand Cru. There is a negociant arm now that also buys in grapes from Meursault, Pucelles 1er, Bâtard-Montrachet, Corton and Corton-Charlemagne to augment its range, all for the better as it is clear that Thibault is a really talented young man. Somewhat shy but sufficiently engaging, I found him familiar when we visited the domaine on 31 October 2018. Little wonder…his had been one of the seven domaines featured in the excellent documentary A Year In Burgundy, for which Thibault had also composed some original music for its soundtrack. With such precocious talent, it is hardly surprising that the whites of Domaine Morey-Coffinet display plenty of sparkle, purity and intensity, often structured with fabulous acidity and fruit that will most definitely ensure a long life ahead. As in other domaines, the vines in 2017 compensated for the dismal yield of 2016, as evidenced by the 45 hectolitres produced per hectare compared with 35 hL. Thibault prefers to press his grapes gently and to limit wood exposure to about 11 months in order to preserve freshness. Will it be the next Ramonet? Very likely but, as things stand, the wines of Domaine Morey-Coffinet can already sing about Chassagne in their own voice. Be warned, though…the 2017 whites need plenty of cellaring before they are even ready so don’t waste them.

Thibault Morey

2017 Domaine Morey-Coffinet Chassagne-Montrachet. Dense bouquet of lifted intense floral notes. Medium-full, laced with crisp razor-sharp acidity, firm minerally tone and good linearity, more minerally at the finish.

2017 Domaine Morey-Coffinet Chassagne-Montrachet Les Caillerets 1er. Effusive bouquet of dense earthy chalky minerals coupled with a bright firm minerally palatal tone. Taut with very fine acidity and tension.

2017 Domaine Morey-Coffinet Chassagne-Montrachet La Romanée 1er. Dense minerally nose. Firm and fleshy on the palate, displaying fine body and presence with sharp acidity, excellent definition and intensity. Very full in concentration.

2017 Maison Morey-Coffinet Puligny-Montrachet Les Combettes 1er. Negociant wine. Very fine floral and minerally tone. Softer and more rounded than the preceding examples of Chassagne, displaying excellent presence and lift on the palate with fine intensity, producing excellent subtle mouthfeel.

2017 Domaine Morey-Coffinet Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles 1er. From relatively young vines of 21 years. Delicate lift on the nose. Full concentration, quite appropriately minerally on the palate as expected from this premier cru site, showing good integration between fruit and minerals with lovely white floral tones, taut with superb acidity and intensity. Excellent.

2017 Domaine Morey-Coffinet Chassage-Montrachet Dent de Chien 1er. Lovely full nose of icing and vanilla, layered with subtle gravelly and ferrous minerals. Quite open and rounded, showing good integration.

2017 Domaine Morey-Coffinet Chassagne-Montrachet Blanchot Dessus 1er. Only one barrel from a 0.06 ha site. Highly ethereal and poised with lovely deftness and sublime acidity, matches well with white floral tones, very rounded and elegant. Like a mini Montrachet, which is not surprising as this tiny premier cru plot directly abuts the southern end of Le Montrachet Grand Cru.

2017 Maison Morey-Coffinet Meursault Perrieres 1er. Lovely delicate lift of deft minerals with dense white floral tones coming from a great concentration of densely-layered white citrus, coiled with tight tension across the palate. Only 3 barrels.

2017 Maison Morey-Coffinet Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru. Rounded bouquet of dense white floral tones with good inner detail, beautifully accented. Medium-full. Rounded with excellent layering and intensity of fruit with lovely textural transparency. Excellent.

2017 Domaine Morey-Coffinet Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru. Less upfront, more layered on the nose, rather brooding in demeanour now with some early complexity of floral tones amidst earthy saline minerals. Quite full and fresh on the palate, showing good presence, layering and lovely transparency, well integrated and supple, tapering to a gentle finish. Excellent.

2017 Domaine Morey-Coffinet Chassagne-Montrachet Clos Saint Jean 1er. Great lift of dark cherries and rose petals underscored by very subtle minerals. Fleshy and rounded, subtly layered on the delicious full palate. Highly elegant with plenty of detail and power. Very fine.

2017 Maison Morey-Coffinet Corton Grand Cru. Good color. Soft beguiling nose, exuding lovely rosy fragrance and elegance. Gently layered and subtly structured, tinged with raw herbal elements at the finish. A feminine Corton. Very fine.

1993 Domaine Morey-Coffinet Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru. Tasted blind. Specially decanted for us, this wine displayed a glorious luminous gold with a beautifully aged bouquet of almonds, hazelnuts, bit of nectarine, apricot and cinnamon, highly aromatic. It opened up well with an aged chalkiness, still rather full but highly integral in its balance of acidity, fruit and minerals, tapering to a gentle finish. Very lovely.

1993 Domaine Morey-Coffinet Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru