Domaine Jaulin-Plaisantin, 2017 Update
The wines of Sébastien Jaulin and Yves Plaisantin were a serendipitous discovery which I made on my first visit to La Cabane à Vin, in Chinon. It already feels like that inaugural sip was an age ago, maybe four of five years, but in fact it was only last summer. I can’t quite recall what prompted me to try the wine; perhaps it was a recommendation from Matthieu Baudry, who was there at the time. Perhaps it was pot luck. Whatever the reason, I was impressed by the dark, brooding nature of the 2011 Les Bourdes, and my interest in the domaine was piqued.
Since then – in September last year to be more precise – I visited the domaine, to find out more about Yves, Sébastien, their vines and their wines. Their success is, I feel, down to the concerted efforts of Yves Plaisantin, who brought to the domaine (which the disillusioned Sébastien Jaulin was ready to sell) years of experience working in Oregon and Virginia, and perhaps more importantly he brought energy and enthusiasm. And while I still think there is room for improvement, both in the vineyard and in the cellar, the wines are certainly of sufficient interest for curious drinkers to be investigating now.
The Wines
This newest batch of tasting notes, a trio of wines from the 2014 vintage, were scribbled when I stopped off to taste with Yves (pictured) at La Levée de La Loire in Angers. The 2014 Les Hauts et Les Bas seemed to me to be a good example of an mid-range cuvée from this vintage. Whereas 2014 undoubtedly has much to offer in the grander cuvées, lesser wines can sometimes seem a little shrill, without the substance to balance out the acidity. This wine has that tell-tale acid streak, but the rest of the wine feels appropriate, and while a rather delicate and pretty style it does have merit.
