The stars of this month’s auctions included Jacky Truchot – a collectable name from the Côte de Nuits – Charles Joguet and his iconic Chinon in iconic vintages (1989, 1990), and the highly coveted climat of Meursault Perrières in Burgundy, with Coche-Dury and Roulot on top. Join us on a foray into France’s finest vineyards.
Jacky Truchot, a collector’s dream
You won’t find this name among the recent vintages on our site: Jacky Truchot ended his winemaking career on a high, with the superb 2005 vintage. This 7-hectare domain has since been taken over by David Duband. One of the reasons behind the worldwide success of these wines is the age of the vines, some of which have been there for over a century. The bottles are rare enough; magnums of Truchot’s grands crus are simply unfindable. Thus, in recent auctions, a magnum the 2002 Clos de la Roche sold for €4,621 (+27%); the same format in the 2001 vintage went for €4,499 (+23%). Another magnum, the 2005 Charmes-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes 2005 sold for €4,621 (+52%).
Meursault Perrières, a coveted climat
iDealwine auctions allow you to access wines from Burgundy’s most coveted climats. Perrières; a 13.7-hectare climat in Meursault is one of those gems. Last month gave seasoned Chardonnay lovers the chance to explore the several facets of this climat with an output of rich (Chardonnay ripens well on this terroir), balanced by a pleasant minerality from the soils of gravel and limestone. Those looking for prestigious labels were not disappointed, with several bottles from Domain Coche-Dury; the 2014 sold for €1,885 and the 2016 €1,824. Along with this star of the appellation, whose latest vintages have sent sparks flying thanks to a subtle change in style (less marked by the toasted notes that characterised older vintages), domain Jean-Marc Roulot is also seeing the prices of his wines on the rise. The 2012 was sold for €888 (+14%). In comparison, the 2011 from Domaine des Comtes Lafon (€231 +15%) seems much more attractively priced, and could see its prices increase in coming years. Other Meursault domains also offer intriguing alternatives to this top trio. In the superb 2010 vintage, a bottle of Pierre Morey sold for €195 (+15%), while the 1998 reached €122. Bottles from Bouchard Père et Fils (2005) and Bouzereau (2010), domains known for the cellaring potential of their Meursault Perrières, found buyers for €85. Last but not least, the Meursault Clos des Perrières – a monopole of Domaine Grivault and a grand cru in everything but name – sold for €116.
Chinon: Domaine Charles Joguet at its zenith
Another memorable bidding war had bidders in France, Denmark, Japan and the US fighting to get their hands on extremely high-quality bottles from Domaine Charles Joguet in Chinon. 1989 is an iconic vintage in the Loire, particularly for this winemaker and his Clos de la Dioterie, the parcel with greatest exposure to the sun. These two hectares of old vines (now 80 years old) are always harvested last, with very low yields (30hl/hectare), producing a wine that combines concentration and power. At iDealwine, we had the pleasure the tasting the 2015 Clos de la Dioterie with Anne-Charlotte Genet, who now runs the domain and was the driving force behind its conversion to organic viticulture (certification was obtained in 2013). A future star, we know it! In July, the 1989 was won by a French enthusiast for €243. Even rarer bottles, from un-grafted vines, were sold at auction, including the cuvée Les Varennes du Grand Clos which reached, respectively, €268 in the 1989 vintage, €225 (1988), €177 (1990) and €148 (1996). We won’t be seeing those bottles again soon. If you’re wondering what we mean by ‘un-grafted’, these are Cabernet Franc plants that weren’t grafted onto American rootstocks – which had been introduced in France following the phylloxera crisis. Yet another element of rarity, saluted by wine lovers in our July auctions.
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