Fabien Coche Meursault Gruyaches 2021

Fabien Coche’s father is a first cousin of Jean-Francois Coche-Dury and it is not so long ago that the two domaines shared almost identical labels. Fabien started working with his father in 1998 and since 2005 has taken over the running and now has his own his own distinctive labels, he is a fourth-generation vigneron . From the ’20 vintage the name of the domaine changed from Coche-Bizouard to Fabien Coche. The Coche family is well known in Burgundy: Raphaël Coche-Dury is a cousin, and the two domaines were one until they split in 1949. Organic farming practices here since 1998 for the 40 plots of vines that the family owns and now with 20 vintages experience. Average vine age is impressive here with more than 60% of vines over 60 years old. Fabien’s shunning of the limelight and understated winemaking have kept him relatively under the radar. A pragmatic and forward-thinking winemaker, he moved in 2007 from the cramped family cellars in Meursault to a more practical, purpose-built premises outside the village. Stylistically the wines at this estate are incredibly pure with little (if any) discernable mark from the hand of the winemaker with new oak at a low 25% and a notable percentage of larger format barrels. I would place the style of his wines in-between that of his cousins Coche-Dury and Roulot. Fabiens wines have the acidity and purity of Roulot without the trademark SO2 which tends to mark Roulots wines when young, and also without the extravagant luxuriant texture that so defines the wines of Coche-Dury. Here we simply find real old vine depth delivering some of the purest expressions of each vineyard site that we have seen right the way through the range from Aligote right to the very top.