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Wine Description
The Story
Appellation: Grand Cru
Area under vine: 0.3210 hectares (7.50 ouvrées)
Terroir: limestone soil (30 cm of earth), with a little broken stone and large blocks of stone (or roches), which gave the vineyard its name. Located at approximately 250 metres of altitude and east facing.
Grape variety: 100% Pinot Noir
When planted: 1950/1951
Vineyard: The vines are grown without the use of pesticides or insecticides, and only natural fertilizer (manure) is used. Ploughing keeps the soil loose and well-aerated, and no weed killers are applied.
Fermentation: The grapes are hand picked into small crates, sorted in the vat room and 100% destemmed. Cold fermentation for 7 days is followed by temperature-controlled alcoholic fermentation with two pigeages (punching the cap) a day and maceration for 21 days.
Barrel-ageing: Aged on the lees in oak barrels (50% new) for 15 months, with late-occurring, natural, malolactic fermentation. Neither fined nor filtered. Racked and bottled by gravity flow.
Tasting notes: Clos de la Roche is deeply-coloured with a powerful bouquet of red and black fruit (wild cherry and blackcurrant). The wine has fine structure and good ageing potential. It is nevertheless extremely attractive when young thanks to ripe tannin and well-defined flavours
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Vintage 2012
2012 was beset by unusual weather that didn’t spare the vines! A mild winter, spring-like March, cool spring with frosts, summer-like May, cooler, wetter June, a variable summer with heatwaves, hail and storms… Because of the cold damp spring, some of the vine flowers didn’t set and form fruit, there was millerandage (where the flowers aren’t fully fertilised and give small berries) and high pressure from mildew and odium. Temperatures went right up during the short periods, over-heating and scorching the berries. This weather caused a significant fall in yields, without, however, impacting on the quality of the grapes, as well spread out bunches with small berries guarantee concentration and intensity.
All in all, the grapes achieved good ripeness in aromas and good sugar to acidity balance. The white wines are characterised by their finesse and concentration. The reds set themselves apart with their lovely colours, ripe and silky tannins and their harmonious mouthfeel
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