Last visit of the week was in Marsannay at Domaine Audoin. There have been lots of changes at this domaine since I was last there. There is a new winery and it has made such a difference. Cyril Audoin must now be one of the best winemakers in the village; we were all pretty much blown away by the quality. They are silky textured with very fine tannins and plenty of fruit. Cuvee Marie Ragonneau was the most accessible with very pretty fruit. Les Longeroies was silky and velvety, really pure Pinot Noir with a long finish. When I first tasted his Gevrey Chambertin a few years back it was quite young vines, now it is a different wine altogether; it has much more complexity and weight, it was really good.
It was a great week’s tasting. There is no doubt about the quality of the whites. They are hugely expressive of their different terroirs and they all have this fabulously driven finish. The quality of the reds is also very good indeed and the style of the vintage will give huge amounts of pleasure. There is lots of deliciously ripe succulent fruit, plenty of concentration and a wonderful fresh lift on the finish. So they really were a joy to taste, really delicious.