2015 Auxey Duresses 1er Cru
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Tasting notes
(a blend of Les Bréterins and Bas des Duresses, the former on calcaire and the latter on clay-based soil; bottled in December of 2016): Healthy full red. Very ripe but sappy aromas of red fruits and licorice. A step up in breadth and finesse of texture from the village Auxey-Duresses, showing a more serious medicinal aspect to its red cherry, mineral and menthol flavors. Finishes classically dry and fairly tannic, considerably longer on the aftertaste than the village version and coating more of the mouth. This comes across as less extreme, not to mention outstanding for its appellation.
Critic scores
Average Score
Neal Martin
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Bright blueish crimson. Lots of layers and interest here. Bright bitter cherry notes on the nose. Racy but not thin. Tense and rather thrilling. Excellent, serious wine and really exciting! Did the cooler location help? GV (JR)
(14.1% alcohol; tasted from cuve ; 20% new oak; 10% vendange entier ; Domaine des Epéneaux has two parcels, one on calcaire and the other on clay): Dark red. Deeper and more complex on the nose than the Auxey-Duresses village wine, showing more soil and mineral tones than easygoing fruit. Suave on entry, then precise in the middle, offering a lovely balance of sweetness and acidity. The wine's elevated alcohol is well supported by flavor intensity and sucrosité . Longer, sappier and more gripping than the village version, with the firm tannins more thorougly buffered by the wine's stuffing.
The 2015 Auxey-Duresses 1er Cru, which is a blend of 60% Breterins and 40% Les Bas des Duresses close to Monthélie, had received a bit of SO2 a week before my visit and was due to be transferred into tank for around two months. It contains 10% whole bunch fruit this year and sees 20% new oak. It has a sensual bouquet with black cherries, raspberry and confit fruit all with fine delineation. The tannins here are finer than the village cru as you would expect, the acidity nicely judged (3.4 pH) with a poised and tensile finish that delivers a welcome salinity on the finish. This comes highly recommended and is certainly one of the best 2015s that I have encountered from the appellation.