Charles Joguet: Tasting & Drinking
Returning to my opening thoughts about the wines of Charles Joguet, it is clear that this domaine has seen some ups and downs in its time. In recent years, however, there have been more of the former, and less of the latter. Looking back to the era of François-Xavier Barc, the wines of the 2003 vintage were rich and satisfying, beautifully balanced and fresh yet flavoursome, especially at the top end. And then came the 2004 and 2005 vintages, both of which again seem to have been successful at Charles Joguet. This is noteworthy, because the 2004 season and harvest was marked by rain, and hard work was required to produce wines of quality.
The departure of François-Xavier Barc obviously cast some doubt over the future of the domaine, so central was his role in its revitalisation, but in the two decades that have since passed it is clear that the domaine remains, under the direction of Anne-Charlotte Genet and Kevin Fontaine, on top form. Indeed, looking at the combination of high quality and consistency across multiple vintages, I would say it has never been better. This quality comes from their strong commitment to quality, as evinced by the detailed soil analyses, the work in the vineyards, the attention to detail at harvest, their ecologically sound and certified organic practices, the focus on better and better parcels, the low yields and the thoughtful manner in which they have developed the domaine and the range of wines.
This all combines to bolster the good quality of the wines, and I have certainly continued to add them to my own cellar, especially in years such as 2009, 2010 and 2011, followed by the 2014 and 2015 vintages too. Quality remains good even in more challenging vintages though, in years such as 2012.
These years of transition, when the domaine was undergoing some restructuring and conversion to organics, were followed a golden era for reds, with further benevolent vintages from 2016 onwards (admittedly tempered by frost, something that Kevin and Anne-Charlotte have coped with admirably). As a consequent 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022 are all exceptionally strong vintages for this domaine. Other years, such as 2021 and 2024, were rather more Ligérian in style, with cooler and more rainy weather, especially 2024 when it never seemed to stop raining. The results are still worthwhile though, and will appeal to those who miss the rather leaner style that dominated in this appellation back in the 1970s and 1980s.
I for one adore the wines coming out of the Joguet cellars in modern times, and I look forward to tasting many more great wines here in the future. (29/10/03, updated 22/5/07, 15/4/08, 18/11/14, 28/10/16, 10/12/17, 19/12/25)
