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Wine Description
The Story
The vineyards are managed biologically, and yields are strictly controlled through pruning, devigorating training techniques, and green harvesting. Harvesting is by hand, allowing immediate rejection of any unhealthy grapes.
The Aligoté is given a couple of hours maceration on the skins, before gentle pressing using a pneumatic press. Fermentations take place in both tank (66%) and large oak foudres (33%), with temperatures kept to a maximum of 20°C. Bottling takes place in April or May, once the malolactic fermentation is complete and the wine has settled.
The Chardonnays are immediately pressed and then vinified, two thirds in tank and one third in barrel. The temperatures in tank are pegged to those that naturally prevail in barrel (never much more than 20°C). The wines are bottled 8-10 months after the vintage. A good proportion of the barrels are renewed each year.
The reds are destemmed if appropriate - the decision depends on the particular characteristics of the vintage - and then chilled for a pre-fermentation maceration. This extracts good colour, round tannins, and aromatic fruit. Vinification is traditional, with daily 'pigeage', and temperatures are kept low to prolong the fermentation. Ageing takes place in large oak foudres as wel as in barrel (never brand new for fear of drowning the wine in oak). After 12-18 months, the wines are fined with egg whites and bottled unfiltered.
Vintage 2008
An indifferent spring caused uneven flowering and mildew risk. At the end of June the weather changed for the better, continuing into July. Apart from local hail in the Côte de Beaune at the end of July, the summer began well. August arrived fairly cold and variable, but fortunately the last week of the month brought fine, warm weather. The lead-up to harvest saw sunny skies, apart from two days of rain in mid-September. A challenging vintage.
From day one the red wines have had a rich, pure fruit character with fine, silky tannins. The whites offer a good balance between ripe fruit and vibrant acidity. A vintage not to be overlooked because the wines deliver potential and pleasure.