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The whites : Only the wines which have finished their alcoholic fermentation are readable at present, They are both rich and powerful, with intense fruit. Analyses reveal very good acidity ( 3.20 to 3.25 pH and around 4g total acidity after MLF) which is well coated in 'the flesh' and the power of the wines. They are simultaneously structured and very rich and deserve a relatively long stay in barrels. Very powerful wines to keep, like the '89 (on our Domaine!) and the '92.
Wine Description
The Story
The vines were planted in two stages by Auguste and Pierre Morey. They are old, weak vines producing little (between 20 and 35 hl/ha). Badly affected by fan-leaf degeneration, they have improved considerably since the application of biodynamic preparations. The parcel is situated at the far south of Montrachet also facing south. The soil is fairly dark, quite deep and stony. It consistently produces wines rich in alcohol, balanced out by their marked acidity. A great deal of substance, these are wines to keep for a long time.
The Montrachet family consists of grand five Grands Crus grown in the two villages of Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet. These two share the Montrachet and Bâtard-Montrachet appellations. Chevalier and Bienvenues belong to Puligny, Criots belongs to Chassagne. These Grands Crus are the most southerly of the Côte-d'Or, and lie between Meursault in the north and Santenay in the south. Their origins go back to the Middle Ages - the work of the Cistercian abbey of Maizières and the Lords of Chagny. The wines of Montrachet (pronounced Mon-rachay) came fully into their own in the 17th century. There is no argument : this is the finest expression of the Chardonnay grape anywhere on earth. The Grand Cru appellations date from 31 July, 1937.
The underlying rocks date from the Jurassic, 175 million years BC. Exposures lie to the east and the south. Altitudes: 265-290 metres (Chevalier) ; 250-270 metres (Montrachet) ; 240-250 metres (Bâtard, Bienvenues, Criots). In the " Climat " of Montrachet, the soils are thinnish and lie on hard limestone traversed by a band of reddish marl. In Chevalier, the soils are thin and stony rendzinas derived from marls and marly-limestones. In the Bâtard " climat " soils are brown limestone which are deeper and, at the foot of the slope, more clayey.
The power and aromatic persistence of these lofty wines demands aristocratic and sophisticated dishes with complex textures : « pâté » made from fattened goose liver, of course, and caviar. Lobster, crawfish, and large wild prawns, with their powerful flavours and firm textures, pay well-deserved homage to the wine and match its opulence. Firm-fleshed white fish such as monkfish would be equally at home in their company. And let us not forget well-bred and well-fattened free-range poultry whose delicate flesh, with the addition of a cream-and-mushroom sauce, will be lapped up in the unctuous and noble texture of this wine. Even a simple piece of veal, fried or in sauce, would be raised to heavenly heights by the Montrachet's long and subtle acidity.
Serving temperature : 12 to 14 °C.
Wine Information
Points to remember concerning this vintage:
- a cold spell at the beginning of winter (end of November).
- low temperatures, and snow had a beneficial effect on the ground. It was never-the-less, a winter with average rainfall.
- bud-burst at the normal time (around Easter).
- an early drought creating a major hydric deficit throughout the season.
- conditions at the end of May were favourable to growth and high temperatures led to normal flowering, fast and uniform around June 13th.
- July was average with no decent temperatures until the end of the month.
- little sun in August but still no rain. The weather in early September was mild with an average amount of sun and not too much rain.
- a north wind prevailed 8 days before the harvest bringing the cold and sun.
At the end of August sanitary conditions were perfect in the vines, and there had been little trouble with odium and mildew throughout the whole season (as a result of the drought).
Veraison was very early signalling an early harvest. However, as there was only an average amount of sun at the end of August and early September we harvested a little later than the flower had indicated.
The Harvest
We started harvesting on September 18th in Meursault, alternating between vineyards planted with Chardonnay in the mornings and those planted with Pinot Noir in the afternoons.
- 18th September: The young vines in Meursault Charmes and Meursault Désirée, then the young vines in Volnay Santenots du milieu.
- 19th September: The young vines in Meursault Clos de la Barre, Meursault Luraule and the old vines in Volnay Santenots du milieu.
- 20th September: Meursault En la Barre and Volnay Clos des Chênes.
- 21st September: Montrachet, Meursault Perrières and the old vines in Volnay Santenots du milieu.
- 22nd September: Meursault Genevrières, Meursault Goutte d'Or and the old vines of Volnay Santenots du milieu.
- 23rd September: Puligny Champgain and the old vines in Meursault Charmes.
- 24th and 25th September: the old vines in Meursault Clos de la Barre and Monthélie Duresses.
Ripeness was good: about 13° for Pinots Noirs and 13° to 14° for Chardonnays (13.8° for Meursault Perrières and 14.2° for Montrachet)
The Chardonnays were in perfect condition with lovely golden grapes. The Pinot Noirs had a maximum of 5% grey rot which we were able to sort easily on the vine.
Yield was good in Volnay and Monthélie, between 30 and 40 hl/ha, and very good for the Chardonnays depending on their location :
- Montrachet : 30 hl/ha
- Meursault Perrières and Meursault Genévrières : 40 hl/ha
- Meursault village, Meursault Clos de la Barre, Meursault Charmes : about 50hl/ha.
It was a good year for yield, similar to that of 2000.
Vinification
No problems in particular, for the reds, the sanitary state was good, ripeness was excellent and the acidic balance very good. They stayed in the tanks for roughly 3 weeks with no high temperatures (maximum 32°C) and without particularly seeking extraction as there had been plenty at the outset. The cuvées exuded wonderful perfumes when removed from the vats, colour was intense, the wines very healthy with good ripe tannins and fairly high acidity.
For the whites, vinification was more delicate: the high level of alcohol in certain cuvées rendered fermentation rather long and difficult to finish; some cuvées began their MLF during the alcoholic fermentation. It was a very technical vintage.
The Wines
The reds :
A very lovely robe, brilliant, the colours intense. The wines have a wonderful substance, highly compact, and very concentrated fruit. These wines are not for drinking young 'primeurs'. The tannins are present but well coated in attractive 'gras' Acidity is excellent (average pH: 3.35, average total acidity : 5g before MLF). They will certainly make great classical reds for keeping ('78, '85, '93).
They are less powerful and overripe than the '90 or '99, though with just as much substance.
The whites :
Only the wines which have finished their alcoholic fermentation are readable at present, They are both rich and powerful, with intense fruit. Analyses reveal very good acidity ( 3.20 to 3.25 pH and around 4g total acidity after MLF) which is well coated in 'the flesh' and the power of the wines. They are simultaneously structured and very rich and deserve a relatively long stay in barrels. Very powerful wines to keep, like the '89 (on our Domaine!) and the '92.
Vintage 2002
2002 VINTAGE in Burgundy
A Great Year
The trade is unanimous: the harvest was exceptional and 2002 is destined to be a great vintage for Burgundy. A dry summer, a sunny September, splendid grapes with highly concentrated sugars - everything came together to produce structured and complex wines with outstanding aromatic potential.
As early as the beginning of September, the sugar content in the grapes was often at exceptionally high levels and they had attained a degree of maturity indicative of a good balance between sugar and acidity in both the Chardonnay and the Pinot Noir, as well as in the Gamay and Aligoté.
Well-matured grapes have produced - on the evidence of early tastings - deeply-coloured red wines with a garnet tint, and with really well-structured tannins. Depending on degree of maturity, the wines evoke sustained aromas of red and black fruits. Thanks to yield control and careful harvesting, they present a wide diversity of expression.
The white wines are intense and heady, richly fragrant in their blend of fruit and mineral components. They are rounded, long in the mouth, balanced and harmonious.
Both reds and whites of the 2002 vintage fully express their respective terroirs and promise fine ageing potential.
As Hubert Camus, President of the Interprofession and himself a wine-grower at Gevrey-Chambertin, puts it: "In 2002, Burgundy's growers and négociants have every prospect of obtaining remarkable wines."
Growing conditions during the year were characterised by low rainfall. Maturation took place in warm and sunny weather punctuated by occasional rainstorms. These weather conditions aided concentration in the grapes and kept them healthy. The harvest period enjoyed an ideal combination of sunshine and cool temperatures.
