Fabien Coche

Fourth-generation vigneron Fabien Coche took over his family’s domaine in 2005. Hailing from one of Burgundies most famed families (Coche-Dury was part of the same domaine until 1940 and is run by his cousin Raphael), Fabien has quickly become the Coche of the current generation making the most waves. His enviable vineyard holdings total 12 hectares spread across Meursault, Monthelie, Pommard and Auxey-Duresses.

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.

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.

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.

White Wines - Fabien is one of the first of the younger generation to age longer on lees - up to 18 months for his top whites

2022 vintage - Bourgogne and village and red wines due May 2024

2022 Aligote
From old vines planted 1950’s to 1970’s in the commune of Meursault in the lieu-dit of Les Penteaux. Aged 100% in tank this year and bottled in February 2023. This shows excellent intensity of flavour and character showing ripe orchard fruits with the fine lifted floral aspect of Aligote. Notes of pear and even apricot indicate the depth and ripeness apparent here. Still fresh and lovely yet with terrific texture and surprising depth. An excellent introduction to any tasting and very promising for what is to follow. A great discovery.

2022 Bourgogne Côte d’Or Chardonnay
Coming from 7 parcels of beautifully situated vines owned by the estate all within Meursault just below the village. This wine is whole bunch pressed then raised in a 3000 litre foudre before being moved back to stainless steel for 6 months in tank and bottled with no fining or filtration in January after a total of 16 months on lees. This is clearly not an average Bourgogne blanc with weight texture and character way above its humble appellation label. A Bourgogne blanc that delivers freshness and attractive Chardonnay fruit yet is also very complex and fine.

2022 Saint Romain blanc
Made from a blend of 2 vineyards, Sous la Velle (west facing towards the village) and Le Jarron (south facing) these sites nestled in the small valey of Saint Romain make for fresh styles of wine that offer good protection in warmer vintages like 2022. This makes for a very fresh yet ripe expression of wine coming from the limestone inflected hillsides of Saint Romain. The generosity of the vintage matched to the cool sites makes for a fresh and defined style of wine which offers more amplitude than the slightly higher Hautes Cotes vineyards surrounding.

2022 Auxey Duresses blanc
Auxey Duresses adjoins Meursault vineyards just above the village of Meursault close to some of the most famed vineyards of the village with Les Luchets and Vireuils joining directly on to Meursault as the village points to the hills just to the west of Meursault. Here the slopes are steeper and the limestone more apparent and the wines correspondingly more fresh and mineral giving more notable acidity and a cooler aspect that works so well in the warmer vintages like 2022. These are among the sites that will benefit from global warming.

2022 vintage - Meursaults due 2nd half of 2024

2022 Meursault Le Limozin
From a superbly sited vineyard that lies just below 1er cru Genevrières and also borders on to 1er cru Les Charmes on the south side towards the Puligny-Montrachet border. Coche’s vines here are 40-45 years old and the wine shows a step up in intensity yet still with the finesse and softeness typical of Charmes. Bottled early April 2024 after elevage of about 18 months. Very fine structure and notable length this has lovely balance already and is the most immediately approachable of all his Meursaults. A very fine village wine of considerable complexity.

Review for 2019 ’The 2019 Meursault Le Limozin is very good, offering up aromas of green orchard fruit, lemon oil and struck match. Medium to full-bodied, layered and muscular, it's a concentrated, structured wine that will reward a bit of bottle age.’ 90+ points, William Kelley, The Wine Advocate, October 2021

2022 Meursault Les Chevalières
Les Chevalières lies just above the village of Meursault where the slope follows at the same elevation as the Premier Crus just a little further south. Chevalières adjoins Les Luchets which is positioned against the top part of this lieu-dit. This shows a tiny bit of struck-match complexity. Despite the hint of reduction this showed lovely fine floral lift over what is clearly a very deep and rich wine showing obvious real old vine intensity. This is a real step up in intensity and character with the cooler site adding a little more acidity and lift to the wine. A fabulous village Meursault and an absolute steal compared to the $1,000+ cost of Chevaliers from his cousin. Buy a case.

Review for 2019 ’As usual, the 2019 Meursault Les Chevalières is one of the highlights at this address, wafting from the glass with scents of lemon zest, grapefruit, white flowers, freshly baked bread and vanilla pod. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and incisive, with tangy acids and chalky structuring extract, it's built for the cellar.’ 91+ points, William Kelley, The Wine Advocate, October 2021.

2022 Meursault Les Luchets
Les Luchets lies above the village quite high on the slope, which is where many of the younger vignerons favour for cooler more mineral wines terroir and better natural acidity. This vineyard is the ‘signature’ vineyard of his cousins, the Roulot family. The aromas seem to show a cooler aspect with more citric acidity lifting the fruit and lengthening the palate. This shows great structure and length finishing very long with a beautifully formed line of fruit on the palate. A wine to wait a few years for.

2022 Meursault 1er Cru Gouttes D’Or
From 80+ year old vines located in the middle of the appellation in one of its best 1er Cru sites which gained its name from the from the tiny flint stones which glistened in the vineyard hence the name meaning drops of gold. Notably floral and lifted this wine shows excellent old vine intensity and lively acidity giving great shape and length to the palate. Finer and more racy than the Charmes this wine wants more time to show its best. A fabulous 1er cru by any standards.

Review for 2019 ’The 2019 Meursault 1er Cru Goutte d'Or is lovely, bursting with aromas of pear, grapefruit and white flowers mingled with hints of nutmeg and struck match. Medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with lively acids and a ripe core of fruit despite a youthfully tight-knit structure, it shows plenty of promise.’ 92+ points, William Kelley, The Wine Advocate, October 2021.

2022 Meursault 1er Cru Les Charmes
From 100+ year old vines in this signature 1er Cru site located on the Puligny Montrachet border. Located just below Perrières, Charmes always shows a silkier texture and rounder finer texture and flavours making this one of the most seductive and indeed charming wines of the cellar. Shows real depth and dimension of fruit from the ancient vines, great finesse and very fine acid giving great length. A very impressive 1er Cru.

Review for 2019 ’The 2019 Meursault 1er Cru Charmes is also very good, revealing aromas of orange oil, pear, white flower and toasted hazelnuts. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and nicely concentrated, with tangy acids and chalky structure, it concludes with a long, penetrating finish.’ 93 points, William Kelley, The Wine Advocate, October 2021.

Red Wines - bottled unfined and unfiltered with just 20% new oak used with very gentle extraction to capture perfume purity and freshness.

2022 Bourgogne Côte d’Or Pinot Noir
From 2 parcels aged 30 to 60 years old located in Meursault and Pommard this wine is 100% destemmed with no pigeage (plunging of the cap) or remontage used in the vinification. Aged in larger 300 litre barrels and is bottled before the harvest in August so as not to impart any overt oak influence and capture all the vibrantly fresh fruit. The resulting wine is vibrant lifted and very pretty yet also quite substantial for just a basic Bourgogne level. Fabiens vinification for this wine is all about capturing finesse fragrance and purity and he has succeeded brilliantly.

2022 Auxey Duresses Rouge
From the lieu-dit of Les Clous which has more limestone soil giving a fresher finer aspect to the aromas and the structure. This vineyard is full south facing and situated between the village Auxey and its neighbouring hamlet of Petit Auxey to the west with the vines averaging 30 years old. Just 20% new oak used here and bottled in December this wine is made with just 10% of whole bunches in the ferment. Fine fresh dark red berry aromas. Real finesse here with very fine and more substantial tannins from the limestone finishing with lingering perfume. Bright crunchy and very moreish. A great value that will also age for the medium term with a touch more tannin from the very chalky site.

2022 Meursault Rouge
Coming from 3 parcels ranging from high, middle and lower on the slope close to the border of Pommard in the lieu-dits of Pre de Manche, Dresolles and Peutes Vignes from vines averaging 40 years old. While Meursault is well known for its white wines approximately 5% of the appellation is planted to Pinot Noir (all on the border of Volnay (indeed some of the wines from these vineyards can be classified and labelled as Volnay (like Santenots du Milieu from Comte Lafon). This northern part of Meursault has a vein of limestone marl which is perfect terroir for Pinot Noir. Like all the red wines of this estate this is vinified very gently using the chapeau immerge technique of very gentle extraction which gives very delicate and precise tannins. Using 25% whole-bunch the wine shows lovely raspberry lift with very fine and complex aromas. Very refined tannins with a gentle floating feel and great finesse and length. Like all the reds at this estate this is bottled before the harvest to retain the freshness and elegance inherent in all his red wines. Tiny production and great rarity as Fabien is together with his cousins Coche-Dury one of the few to make Meursault rouge. Well worth seeking out.

2022 Pommard Vieilles Vignes
Coming from parcels planted in 1945, 1979 and 1995 from the lieu-dits of La Platière (1er cru) and Les Crenilles. La Platière is a higher latitude vineyard in the northern part of Pommard with chalky limestone-marl soil and a south-facing exposition, while Les Crenilles sits on shallow brown alluvial soil at a lower altitude near the village centre. In 2022 this was vinified with 50% whole bunches and aged in 30% new oak from the cooperages of Damy and Remond using the chapeau immerge technique of very gentle extraction which gives very delicate and precise tannins. Shows real freshness and finesse with spicy aromatic lift and very fine refined tannins. This is a bargain offering of mostly 1er cru fruit at village price from vines averaging 50+ years.

2022 Monthelie 1er Cru Les Barbières
This 1er cru vineyard sits quite high on the slope and faces full south. Made with 30% whole bunch ferment in 2022 this wine shows rich and deep aromas given some lift and finesse by the use of whole bunches in the ferment. Shows lovely floral lift and also excellent freshness with excellent depth and intensity. A serious 1er cru with only 20% new oak used and bottled after 18 months elevage. This retains freshness and finesse and shows very bright rich fruit with great polish. Fabien aims to capture the fresher side of Pinot and these reds are lithe and effortless and not at all worked.