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Wine Description
The Story
The Montrachet of Marquis de Laguiche belongs to this Pantheon. This property (2.06 hectares - 5.15 acres) is actually the largest parcel of the Montrachet vineyard and has been in the hands of the Laguiche family since 1363. The Drouhin family is in charge of its cultivation and vinification and, since 1947, has spread and preserved its worldwide renown.
In the southern part of the Côte de Beaune, the estate of the Marquis de Laguiche is entirely located on the Puligny side of the appellation. A very mild slope and a great south-east exposure.
History & tradition: at every period of history, a few vineyards have been considered heirloom treasures for their incomparable quality.
Soil: brown-red earth, strewn with white, polished limestone pebble. The word "rachet" in Montrachet means infertile land, where nothing can grow.
Viticulture:Plantation density: from 10,000 stocks/ha in order to extract all possible nuances from the terroir.
Pruning: Guyot.
Yield: 48hl/ha. Low on purpose to limit the production of each vine stock.
Vinification
Harvesting: by hand, in small open crates in order to preserve the integrity of the fruit.
Sorting: if necessary, the grapes are sorted twice : once when being picked, the second time on the sorting table at the winery.
Pressing: very slow so as to respect fruit. Juices from the very last pressings are not retained
The wine goes directly into barrels after débourbage (decanting of white wine to reduce sediment).
Ageing
Type: in barrels (0% in new oak).
Length: 15 to 18 months.
Origin of the wood: French oak forests.
Weathering of the wood: Joseph Drouhin insists on total control of the weathering for a period of 3 years, one of the contributing elements to the elegance of the wine.
Throughout the ageing process, decisions are taken only after careful tasting evaluation. The data obtained is then completed through technical analysis. As with every other Joseph Drouhin wine, absolute priority is given to the true expression of terroir and character of the vintage.
Serving
Temperature: 14-15°C (58-60°F).
Cellaring: 10 to 40 years.
Wine Information
Grape Variety : Chardonnay.
Vineyard
Site : in the southern part of the Côte de Beaune, the estate of the Marquis de Laguiche is entirely located on the Puligny side of the appellation. A very mild slope and a great south-east exposure.
History & tradition: at every period of history, a few vineyards have been considered heirloom treasures for their incomparable quality. The Montrachet of Marquis de Laguiche belongs to this Pantheon. This property (2.06 hectares - 5.15 acres) is actually the largest parcel of the Montrachet vineyard and has been in the hands of the Laguiche family since 1363. The Drouhin family is in charge of its cultivation and vinification and, since 1947, has spread and preserved its worldwide renown.
Soil: brown-red earth, strewn with white, polished limestone pebble. The word "rachet" in Montrachet means infertile land, where nothing can grow.
Viticulture
Plantation density: from 10,000 stocks/ha in order to extract all possible nuances from the terroir.
Pruning: Guyot.
Yield: 48hl/ha. Low on purpose to limit the production of each vine stock.
Vinification
Harvesting: by hand, in small open crates in order to preserve the integrity of the fruit.
Sorting: if necessary, the grapes are sorted twice : once when being picked, the second time on the sorting table at the winery.
Pressing: very slow so as to respect fruit. Juices from the very last pressings are not retained
The wine goes directly into barrels after débourbage (decanting of white wine to reduce sediment).
Ageing
Type: in barrels (0% in new oak).
Length: 15 to 18 months.
Origin of the wood: French oak forests.
Weathering of the wood: Joseph Drouhin insists on total control of the weathering for a period of 3 years, one of the contributing elements to the elegance of the wine.
Throughout the ageing process, decisions are taken only after careful tasting evaluation. The data obtained is then completed through technical analysis. As with every other Joseph Drouhin wine, absolute priority is given to the true expression of terroir and character of the vintage.
Tasting note by Véronique Boss-Drouhin
"An authentic masterpiece! This wine should be regarded as the yardstick by which all other Burgundies should be judged. The colour has a splendid golden sheen. On the nose, a multitude of aromas are a pleasure to discover: floral notes of lily of the valley, peach blossom, exotic fruit, honey, grilled almonds, even exotic woods at times. On the palate, the structure is dominated by a harmonious roundness which never imparts any heaviness. The aftertaste is exceptionally long and enhances the finesse of the whole. A glorious symphony of sensations!".
Vintage
The wines are pure. They show style and elegance. The good balance between mellowness and acidity provides a lot of freshness and enhances their fruitiness and character.
Serving
Temperature: 14-15°C (58-60°F).
Cellaring: 10 to 40 years.
Vintage 2001
2001 VINTAGE in Burgundy
A promising start to the new millennium...
Growing season and weather conditions
The winter, during which the vines lay dormant, was a mild one.
The first signs of bud-burst came early but wintry conditions in April accompanied by frosts in the most exposed vineyards slowed down the start of the growing season.
Spring, from May onwards, was marked by periods of fine sunny weather.
The first flowers appeared, precociously, at the beginning of June, but the process was then slowed by a recurrence of low temperatures. Flowering was thus spread out over a period of some two weeks and the resulting unevenness in the progress of maturation persisted until harvest-time.
The natural weight of the crop burden led many growers to resort to green thinning ("vendanges en vert") - cutting out superfluous grape bunches at an early stage to ensure a harvest lower in volume but higher in quality.
Maturation and harvest
July was cool and rainy. Summer only really arrived in August with sometimes scorching heat and high levels of recorded sunshine. Violent rain- and hail-storms caused significant damage to the vines in some localities.
Maturation proceeded under favourable circumstances and the physical condition of the grapes remained good.
A slight drop in temperature at the beginning of September together with some light rain meant that in choosing the right moment to begin picking, growers needed to be alert and exercise great judgement (given uneven maturation and changeable weather conditions), and to make the best use of dry and sunny periods.
The need to wait, in some cases, for the moment of optimum ripeness meant that the harvest period was prolonged. Maturity was variable with sugar levels ranging from moderate to very good, good levels of acidity, and variable polyphenol levels in the red wines.
Estimated yield totals 1.5 million hectolitres, a slightly lower volume than the 2000 and 2001 harvests.
Vinification and character of the wines
Vinification of the white wines proceded in a lesisurely manner and without incident. The red wines demanded more attention in order to extract the maximum potential from their colouring matter and tannins.
As of mid-November, the white wines are fine and straightforward, well-balanced with good concentration and well-developed fruit backed by firm acidity.
The reds are vividly and intensely coloured. They have a well-defined structure thanks to firm tannins and a good level of acidity. They are meaty, with agreeable and expressive fruit.
