The 2023 vintage was large and generous, with a good concentration for those who kept yeiæds down to an acceptable level … 40 – 45 hl/ha was again the maximum … unless it’s just relaxed vin de soif.
Beyond 45 hl/ha does often give quite some dilution … and the focus in the wine is down the drain.
The 2023s offer rich fruit without the sweet concentration of the 2022 vintage… more balanced now, but the 2022s will prevail, as the generous sweetness is retracting somewhat.
The 2023s are a bit more variable in quality, and especially some wines in the Côte de Nuits have a tendency to slightly overripe phenolics.
Vinous background
Louis Vallet is like his wines: vivacious, but with much more control and delicacy than one would expect. He is both a serious and a talented winemaker, coming from his family’s Domaine Pierre Bourée. At some point, he will get vineyards from that estate, but as is so often the case in Burgundy, family disagreements seem to go on and on.
In the meantime, Louis Vallet has turned the page and started a negociant business in the buildings of his parental home, the Château de Charodon just outside Beaune in Montagny-les-Beaune.
There is little doubt that Louis Vallet will harvest the fruits of the family vineyards one day. But starting out here, other vineyards are in focus.
Louis learned his trade from people like Pascal Marchand, and I see qualities in the Charodon (previously Château Charodon) wines influenced by Marchand’s visionary ideas. I also see influence from Bernard Zito, another prominent personality in Louis’ development as a vigneron.
These influences result in wines with generous, pure, mid-palate fruit; drinkability and enjoyability; and complexity without being over-engineered. They keep their simplicity, while revealing palpable potential.
Let’s taste the red 2023s and a few 2024s !
Charodon Bourgogne Côte de Or 2024
(Drink from 2026) – Good – (86p) – Tasted 07/05/2023
Charodon Bourgogne Fixin La Croix de Blanche 2024
(Drink from 2029) – Very Good – (89p) – Tasted 07/05/2026
Saline and floral … Violets – has a beautiful energy. Very good for 2024
Charodon Bourgogne Fixin La Croix de Blanche 2023
(Drink from 2026) – Very Good – (89p) – Tasted 07/05/2026
Not that impressive considering the lovely 2024
You need to login as a Premium subscriber to read the rest of this article. If you are not a Premium Subscriber, use the subscribe function and sign-up.
- A true vin d’émotion – a Burgundy of passion
- A truly hedonistic wine – lively and enjoyable
- A potential vin d´émotion - frais et léger
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.