“Be sure that the land is visible in the glass. That is the essence of what we do”. Francois Millet
If I could add my own caveat to Francois’s imperishable phrase, it would be to do justice to the fruit. Is the wine as delicious as the fruit and vineyard promised and, in the case of Burgundy, with its endlessly written of grandeur, this is no mean feat. For we all have expectations and prejudices, and for novices especially, a bottle of Burgundy may be a byword for expensive disappointment. So, most importantly, does the wine stack up?
Tasting Francois Millet’s 2020s, was an afternoon to remember. I hope Francois doesn’t mind me referring to him as the old guard, for it was indeed the old guard where measurements and benchmarks were set down.
There is nothing revolutionary about his methods, famously honed for 20 years at Comte de Vogue. I have often thought that we obsess to much over detail; exaggerating differences, actively looking so we can exclaim the nuance of a vineyard or the relative merits of one method over another. There is philosophy in process, but it would count for nought if the wines were not as fabulous as they are here.
“Beginning with the vineyard, “we try to figure out if the land is a mineral land, or a structural land”.
It has to be said that all vineyards chosen by Francois Millet are held in high regard, farmed invariably by close friends with shared principles. All grapes, mineral or structural are destemmed. Francois believes whole bunches are “putting a curtain in front of the window”, obscuring reality and a beautiful view.
“Minerality is a beauty, but a dangerous beauty. It is important not to be provocative” and “mineral land doesn’t like contact. So infusion, no punchdowns”.
It is hard to imagine the intensity and unrelenting power of Millet’s wines, some from supposedly humble vineyards, all of them crafted in much the same manner, save for a punchdown. Only the Gevrey-Chambertain Le Fourneau and Beaune Premier Cru Champs Pimont are punched down.
“Structural land means we have to have contact. We have to express all the land”.
Wines deemed “structural” may be punched, but usually once is enough. The other wines are pumped over by hand, using a bucket to wet the cap. What fascinates me most is the subtlety of difference, hence a shift in technique only very slight. It is a mistake to think that a wine from a great vineyard should need new oak, rigorous extractions or warmer ferments because “it can take it”, or “soak it up”. The thrilling nature of the fruit is enough and it takes nerve to go against the grain – to be gentle where others are hard.
Long cool ferments, followed by a late malolactic fermentation “we prefer it to come after winter. Wine is like people, they need to have a youth, to go through puberty. The later the malo, the greater the freshness”.
Ageing is extended here, as it was everywhere not long ago, and this is buoyed by a cool cellar, maintaining a brisk 12 degrees throughout the year. The barrels are topped constantly, ensuring brightness and intensity. Old oak only, from Raymond Rousseau and Gillet, for up to 21 months. A fine line here, as Francois wishes to maintain youthful vigour and simultaneously integrate the wine’s elements. Racking, by hand of course, twice, firstly after malo and secondly off lees into bottle.
It is clear that 2020 is a truly great vintage in Burgundy, I believe the best in the last 25 years at least. Both colours excelled and the vintage provided unparalleled opportunities for wine producers to “unweave the rainbow” as they saw fit. 2020 is a vintage of remarkable concentration, intensity and power and Francois Millet’s ‘unweaving’ was not to add or push the wine but to enable the fruit to throw off its clothes.
The fruit is so awesome that it’s best to step aside. The first thing you notice is the brightness and penetration of colour. Scarcely have I ever been so mesmerised by the “look” of a wine. Red and whites are remarkably concentrated, pure and bright, with great clarity and delineation. The acids are concentrated, rich and elevating, an instant presence and framing influence. Oozing tannins, the flavour and texture, immediately apparent and like the acidity are a strong influence on the shape, drive, flow and energy of the wine. Linear, yet with fleshy mid palates, the wine’s completeness is empathised by their latitude, width and almost fan like shape, despite the presence and immediacy of structure. And lastly, they have power. Unrelenting power, of an intensity that is so eye watering, mouth filling, tense and coiled, I think 2020 will yield incredible lifespans, measured in distant decades.
Some tasting notes:
Francois Millet et Fils Gevrey-Chambertain Le Fourneau 2020
This is a “structural” vineyard, according to Francois, so “one punchdown is enough”. Immensely powerful, I couldn’t help but think that most winemakers would have had a regime of punchdowns, followed by an eternity in new oak. But you can taste and marvel at his perspective. Deeply coloured, with dark fruits, dark chocolate, violets and clove. Immensely broad, and mouthwatering, I can imagine the temptation to “work” the wine, but only for a moment as the flavours wash over the palate, shape and take hold over your mouth. Very wide, fan shaped, with some tangy red fruits thrown into the mix, subtle florals and hints of fresh compost. Coiled, explosive and so long in the mouth that this could be kept for a lifetime.
Francois Millet et Fils Chambolle-Musigny Les Foucheres 2020
A cool vineyard just 50 metres south of Musigny where Francois perfected his craft at Comte de Vogue. It’s a cool site, facing northeast with sparse soils of limestone and gravel. A vineyard of great expression and high toned intensity, yielding wines of great concentration, yet pretty and elegant. The 2020 is incredibly expressive with Middle Eastern spices, fresh compost, blueberry, mulberry, black cherry, raspberry, violets and leather. Rich and sensual, this is the most seductive of the range, with great width and a burring of tannin and acid. Caressing cashmere texture, yet the tannins are still fearsome, copping a thrashing of tangy red fruits. Magisterial power and succulent elegance, that can only be found in Burgundy.
