Domaine Truchetet – a sample surprise

The Covid lockdown is creating quite a bit of stress on the calendar, and on my ability to expand the Winehog site as planned.

One could fall into despair or, alternatively, try to manage. Given the situation, I feel we have done OK, although I would vastly prefer being in Burgundy tasting as we speak – so to speak.

That being said, I was delighted to find out that Domaine Truchetet – Pauline and Morgan – had shipped some samples of the wonderful 2019 vintage for me to taste with its Danish importer, Rufus Vin.

This was both a surprise and a treat. And let me say: Morgan Truchetet has nailed the 2019s. Oh la la!

The samples

The samples were ten different 2019 wines taken from barrel. The estate sent the bottles – 100-millilitre samples bottled with screwcap – to Denmark by mail, a journey that took approximately a week.

All the samples showed very well, aside from one that was somewhat reduced (see below).l

Domaine and negociant wines – both sides of the coin

Please note that Morgan Truchetet makes both domaine (Domaine Truchetet) and negociant wines under the name Morgan Truchetet.

The style and vinification are similar, as is the quality, which is determined by the grapes and the terroir. Some of the negociant wines are equally as interesting as the estate production.

As always, one needs to be extra careful judging wines too severely when the samples have just travelled across Europe. But no more babbling: Here are my initial impressions.

Morgan Truchetet Bourgogne Chardonnay 2019

Vivid and lively with pure fruit, this is presumably made in stainless steel, as there’s no discernible oak impression. Lovely, pure, slightly perfumed fruit – it is after all 2019; very attractive with a nice mineral impact. A delight from a lovely vintage.

(Drink from 2021) – Good – (86-87p) – Tasted 27/11/2020 –

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Domaine Truchetet Hautes Côtes de Nuits Blanc 2019

The Hautes Côtes de Nuits Blanc is showing nicely, quite saline, with a fine mineral boost. Floral, yet with a stony, citrus-infused impression, this is lively and fresh as the 2019s are; they do show nice mineral energy. It’s a lovely white in the making, and a delightful wine from La Montagne – above the main Premeaux-Prissey

(Drink from 2021) – Good – (86-87p) – Tasted 27/11/2020 –

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Domaine Truchetet Bourgogne Vieilles Vignes 2019

This is an assertive, forward wine, showing red cherries and a slight amaretto note. Charming and accessible, but with a lot of energy, this is not a deeply complex wine, but 2019 gives this a perfumed sensation regardless. Sexy, I would call it.

(Drink from 2020) – Good+ – (87p) – Tasted 27/11/2020 –

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Domaine Truchetet Hautes Côtes de Nuits 2019

Back on La Montagne in the hills behind Les Terres Blanches, this shows a denser mineral note than the Bourgogne rouge. More intense and concentrated, it offers more structure than the Bourgogne Vieilles Vignes, while at the same time being less flashy and in-your-face gorgeous than the regional offering.

(Drink from 2020) – Good+ – (87p) – Tasted 27/11/2020 –

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Domaine Truchetet Côte de Nuits Villages 2019

This is a fine Côte de Nuits Villages, with relatively cool fruit. Sensual and lively, it’s very forward, with intense fruit. Quite elegant, and very light-footed (although not light), this is like a ballerina with its sensual, almost creamy feeling. A delight!

(Drink from 2023) – Good++ – (87-88p) – Tasted 27/11/2020 –

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Morgan Truchetet Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Saints Juliens 2019

The Saints-Juliens is refined and floral, but without the weight of Les Topons, being located just outside NSG on the Vosne side. While is no doubt a lesser wine, despite its refined, finely grained tannins, it is much more sexy and delicate than Topons (sorry). That said, it is also shorter and less intense than the bigger village example. It is a very interesting terroir, but not without compromise.

(Drink from 2024) – Very Good+ – (88p) – Tasted 27/11/2020 –

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Morgan Truchetet Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Topons 2019

This is a sturdy wine, with classic iron-infused minerality. I prefer the Saints-Juliens, although the 2019 vintage works miracles also on this wine. This a classic, and 2019 is the vintage from which to buy NSG classics

(Drink from 2024) – Good++ – (87-88p) – Tasted 27/11/2020

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Morgan Truchetet Nuits-Saint-Georges “Cuvée Rufus” 2019

This is a blend of Saints Juliens and Topons, and it does marry successfully the rather refined, mineral feel of Saints-Juliens with the fairly robust, sturdy Topons. I love the floral/mineral notes from Saints Juliens, and with the firm grip from Topons, this wine has the best of both worlds. It is an interesting cuvée, only sold by the estate’s Danish importer. A weak point could be the eventual integration of the two wines’ characters – the Fritz Haag 1994 ordinary Spätlese syndrome (a blend of two casks of Spätlese that took very long to fully integrate).

(Drink from 2026) – Very Good – (89p) – Tasted 27/11/2020 –

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Domaine Truchetet Nuits-Saint-Georges Vieilles Vignes 2019

This is from the Premeaux side of Nuits-Saint-Georges, below the RD974 and north of Clos de Grandes Vignes in the lieux-dits Les Charbonniéres and Les Topons. While this is a rather robust wine for the vintage, 2019 can add finesse to all terroirs. Quite some concentration, and rather classic NSG with its iron, mineral impression beneath the clay. It has very good concentration, and the perfume is wonderful.

(Drink from 2026) – Very Good – (89p) – Tasted 27/11/2020

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Morgan Truchetet Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Bousselots 2019

This was quite reduced in the sample delivered, and while it did improve with time in the glass, it would not be fair to rate the wine currently.

NR – Tasted 27/11/2020

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A treat from Pauline and Morgan; they are certainly improving rapidly. Their 2019s are a full level up quality-wise from the 2018s. This is an estate to follow.