1986 Domaine Joblot, Givry 1er Cru “Clos du Cellier Aux Moines” Red Burgundy, France.
Wonderfully pretty, delicate, mature and pure, this 1986 Joblot Premier Cru Givry “Clos du Cellier Aux Moines” really shined and was a real surprise in a recent Blind Burgundy tasting showing off a smooth medium bodied palate with seductive earthy red fruits, light sous bois, autumn leafs, tea spices and potpourri. This was an interesting experience, as I’ve never had a seriously aged version of this Givry appellation and I’ve not any of this old school producer, with this Domaine Joblot putting on a fabulous display in the glass, and while getting to its maximum limit or past its best, there was tons of personality and soulful expression here to admire. You’d definitely want to enjoy this one sooner versus later, but I was thrilled by how it did with its silky layers of dried cherry, brambly red berry, strawberry and fig fruits, along with wilted rose petals, leather, pipe tobacco, truffle and beefy notes. This traditionally made fading beauty hung on nicely on an evening of some really impressive terroir driven Burgundies and was a rewarding treat, consider me a fan, and I’m very grateful one of my tasting group friends dug this out of long lost cellar collection. It’s good to know that second generation winemaker, Juliette Joblot is continuing produce high quality efforts and organically tends to her domaine’s 13.5 hectares of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay within Givry’s unique natural amphitheater.
The lesser known, Givry AOC appellation which is set in the Côte Chalonnaise, is a subregion of Burgundy, like Mercurey and Marsannay that is planted to about 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay. So the small Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) of Givry, like Rully, may be labeled for red or white wine, but as noted, the production of red wine dominates here and there are 27 Premier Cru vineyards, with just 24 acres of Pinot Noir vines within 1er Cru Givry AOC, including this Cellier Aux Moines, and the AOC was granted back in 1946. The greater Côte Chalonnaise, located to the south of the main Côte d’Or and Côte de Beaune part of Burgundy, is named after the historic town of Chalon-sur-Saône, situated on the Saône River. The town was an important trading post or central of the Celts in Gaul that was later used by the Romans, who began expanding the wine trade here, making it an important commodity moving up and down the river. While Pinot is the most common grape here, there is a commune, Bouzeron, that specializes in Aligoté, and Gamay is also found here. As a terroir, the Côte Chalonnaise do not run along the slopes of a single escarpment or range of hills, it has three main isolated areas set on patches of limestone, including Givry, which makes for high quality Pinots, as this Joblot shows even at almost 40 years old! I’m very excited to explore the more recent vintages of Domaine Joblot, one of the top producers in Givry, and the youthful Juliette’s efforts, with an eagerness to see how her latest Givry 1er Cru “Clos du Cellier Aux Moines” tastes!
($60 Est.) 91 Points, grapelive