Domaine Marc Colin

Domaine Marc Colin

Joseph Colin described 2015 as a vintage that "surprised us with its freshness given the very hot growing season and high fruit maturities. The season itself was relatively straightforward with no major problems to speak of and we began picking on the first of September and brought in super-clean and ripe fruit that averaged around 13% in terms of potential alcohols. From the very beginning our goal was to preserve as much freshness as we could and to this end we avoided stirring the lees, limited new wood to a maximum of 25% and in many cases we employed foudres that hold up to 30 hl. [A foudre of 30 hl is the equivalent of 13 regular Burgundian barrels.] Among our various terroirs I would say that those in St. Aubin were particularly successful and this is probably due to the fact that it was a bit cooler compared to Chassagne and Puligny." The domaine made wonderful 2014s and it has followed that success with some wonderful 2015s, many of which are worth considering. The 2015s were bottled between August 2016 and January 2017 using Diam 30 composite corks.

2015 St. Aubin "Les Combes" This is also quite floral with aromas of smoky white orchard fruit, citrus zest and a light touch of minerality. Once again there is fine volume to the rich and relatively full-bodied flavors yet the finish remains cool, clean and quite dry in the context of the vintage. This is really lovely juice and worth considering. (Outstanding, Top Value, 92 pts)

2015 St. Aubin "Sur le Sentier du Clou" A top note of citrus is present on the notably ripe yet agreeably fresh and airy aromas of pear, apple and white flowers. There is first-rate intensity on the mineral-driven medium-bodied flavors that display fine delineation on the clean, dry and well-balanced finish. This is really quite good and worth a look. (Outstanding, 90 pts)

2015 Chassagne-Montrachet "Chenevottes" A pungent nose combines notes of petrol, white flower, pear and a hint of nut oil. There is very fine richness and volume to the full-bodied flavors that possess an excellent level of dry extract that deliver a lovely sense of energy on the succulent and impressively complex finale. (Outstanding, 92 pts)

2015 Chassagne-Montrachet "Vide Bourse" There is enough reduction to dominate the underlying fruit today. The rich, powerful and concentrated flavors possess excellent size and weight along with ample muscle on the bold and intense finish. If there's a nit it's that this is presently not super complex (though neither is it simple) but the necessary material appears to exist such that better depth will very likely develop. (Outstanding, 92 pts)

2015 Chassagne-Montrachet "Champs Gain" Discreet wood frames ripe white orchard fruit, resin and soft earth aromas. There is admirable generosity to the extract-rich flavors that possess solid volume on the textured and beautifully long finish. This opulent effort is attractive but lacks the same depth as the best in the range. (Outstanding , 90 pts) '

Burghoud.com

Founded in 1970 by Marc Colin and his wife Michele, Domaine Marc Colin now spans 15 hectares encompassing 26 appellations in St. Aubin, Chassagne, Puligny, and Santenay. Most of the land was inherited from past generations of Colin and Ponavoy; certain parcels have been in the family for more than 100 years. While the family does own prime territory in Chassagne, home base in St. Aubin features parcels of the very best vineyards, En Remilly and Chatenière, to name a few. These vineyards accrue prestige due to their sloped location; while much of St. Aubin resides on flat ground (rendering less interesting wines) the Colin properties are all situated on finely pitched hillsides. The resulting wines shimmer with savory minerality and luster. 

Today Joseph, Caroline, and Damien, the children of Marc and Michele, own and run the domaine. The fourth sibling Pierre-Yves (who made the wine at Marc Colin for 10 years) established his own project in 2005. Sustainable and organic agriculture, older vines, and clay-limestone soils are just some of the components contributing to the quality of the final product. Winemaking style would best be called traditional, though Joseph (who makes the whites) and Damien (who makes the reds) are certainly not shy of innovation. Whites strive for optimum freshness; there is no heavy, ungainly wood here. The red wines are characterized by silky texture, ever-present fruit and a certain roundness with just a kiss of oak. Production consists of 70% white and 30% red with total production maxing out at 120,000 bottles.

The Colin reds come from St-Aubin, Chassagne-Montrachet and Santenay, including a fine vieilles vignes bottling which comes from a plot in Les Champs Claude planted in 1901. This and the Saint-Aubin Les Frionnes are worthy of note, though the Domaine is much better known for its white wines. These include no less than eight bottlings of premier cru St-Aubin plus Puligny- and Chassagne-Montrachet and their associated grands crus.