En Primeur | Domaine Charles Audoin
Rugby-loving Cyril is the 5th generation of Audoins in the commune of Marsannay, the Côte de Nuits’ most northerly appellation covering 400 hectares. Today Marsannay is rightly gaining the recognition it deserves as a fine source of high-quality red wines, not least thanks to Cyril’s efforts, amongst others. Indeed, the commune has 14 lieux-dits which have been proposed to the INAO for a long overdue upgrade to 1er Cru status. Whilst this might not be immediate, it reflects the respect that Marsannay and its best vineyards are rightly held in today.
2022 Marsannay Cuvée Marie Ragonneau Charles Audoin
£145.00 In Bond £193.24 Inc VAT (£32.20 Per Bottle)-
Goedhuis, December 2023
Named in honour of Cyril’s great grandmother who lost her husband in World War One, but who maintained the estate intact to pass on to the next generation. The fruit comes from five different locations in the commune, combining to make a beautifully forward drinking representation of the village style. Fresh red cherry and currant jelly flavours show Pinot Noir purity at its very best. With a charming velvet like texture, this is easy drinking and hugely pleasurable.
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Burghound, January 2024, Score: 88-91
From Les Crais, La Pucine and Les Plantes Pitois. An even fresher nose combines notes of the essence of various red berries, spice and a similar suggestion of earth. The succulent, delicious and vibrant middleweight flavours possess a more refined mouthfeel as well as a subtle minerailty that seems to add a sense of lift to the bitter fruit-inflected finale. Drinking: 2028+.
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Wine Advocate, January 2024, Score: 90-91
Aromas of cherries, red berries, peonies and spices introduce the 2022 Marsannay Cuvée Marie Ragonneau, a medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy wine that's suave and charming, concluding with a saline finish. As usual, it's a blend of several old-vine parcels dotted around the commune.
2022 Marsannay Clos du Roy Charles Audoin
£195.00 In Bond £253.24 Inc VAT (£42.20 Per Bottle)-
Goedhuis, December 2023
This vineyard, like Les Longeroies, is in the north of the commune, on hard Comblanchien limestone and is recognised for producing one of the village’s more powerful wines. In some years, this cuvée can be a little reserved when tasting young, but, having been racked and put in cuve ahead of bottling, it was a sumptuous joy to taste in November 2023. Combining bilberry and blueberry fruits, with a lacquer of liquorice, the open sweetness of fruit is balanced by a charming saline minerality on the finish.
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Burghound, January 2024, Score: 90-93
Here a discreet application of wood surrounds the fresh, cool and restrained red and dark pinot fruit where a floral top note adds a touch of elegance. The more concentrated medium weight flavours possess excellent intensity while the moderately firm and youthfully austere finish flashes more evident minerality on the balanced and sneaky long finish. This is built to repay up to a decade of keeping but could reasonably be approached after 5 years. Drinking 2030+.
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Wine Advocate, January 2024, Score: 90-92
Offering up aromas of cherries, rapberries, rose petals and dark chocolate, Audoin's 2022 Marsannay Clos du ROy is medium to full-bodied, ample and satiny, with bright acids and a succulent, charming profile.
2022 Marsannay Les Longeroies Charles Audoin
£195.00 In Bond £253.24 Inc VAT (£42.20 Per Bottle)-
Goedhuis, December 2023
Les Longeroies has a superb location in the appellation and is rightly one of the village’s vineyards being put forward for Premier Cru promotion. The 2022 is a rich and ample wine, with a melée of flavours; Morello cherry, loganberry, and fruit pavlova. Silky and creamy, this is generous and rich on the finish.
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Burghound, January 2024, Score: 90-92
From both the upper and lower climats. This is aromatically similar to the Clos du Roy but with touches of plum and spice. The super-sleek, intense and velvet-textured medium-bodied flavours aren't quite as austere while displaying a similar level of minerality on the lingering finale that isn't quite as complex, though that of course may change with cellar time. Drinking 2030+
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Wine Advocate, January 2024, Score: 91-93
Bright and giving, the 2022 Marsannay Les Longeroies bursts with scents of cherries, red berries, orange zest and peony. Medium to full-bodied, suave and fleshy, with an enveloping core of fruit and supple tannins, it concludes with a bright, mouthwatering finish.
2022 Gevrey Chambertin Charles Audoin
£270.00 In Bond £343.24 Inc VAT (£57.20 Per Bottle)-
Goedhuis, December 2023
A perfumed scent of wild strawberry and alpine berries. A full and structured wine, with clay soil substance and depth. The breadth and weight of ripe, rich fruit is carefully balanced by the wine’s sweetness and the all-important freshness: Cyril thinks this is so important in his wines this year. A classy village wine, punching above its weight.
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Burghound, January 2024, Score: 89-91
From Les Crais and La Croix des Champs, both of which are on the eastern side of D974. A slightly riper nose freely offers up notes of purple fruit, especially plum, along with hints of earth, the sauvage, and underbrush. There is again an excellent vibrancy to the detailed and attractively textured flavours that display fine length on the mildly austere finale. This too could use better depth but a few years of cellaring should certainly help. Drinking 2029+.