Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune 2018
Some vineyards have the power to attract by their appearance alone, and it is evident that the Hautes-Côtes fall into this category…
Origin
The Hautes-Côtes de Beaune region begins after Corgoloin with a depth of 5km, and extend southwards for almost 30km to the little village of Chassey-le Camp, close to Chagny. The soil types vary and the altitude ranges from 350 to 500m. Many of the little valleys are composed mostly of clay, which suits the Pinot Noir well.
Our wine comes from the Changes sector near Décize-Lès-Maranges.
Viticulture
Grape variety: pinot noir
Soils: lean, very calcareous and marly.
Orientation: South/South-East
Surface area under vine: 0.6686 ha
Pruning: Guyot system
Yield: 59 hL/ha
Average age of the vines: 40 years old.
Vinification
Harvest date: 10 September 2018.
The grapes were sorted a first time in the vineyard and a second time on the sorting table when they arrived at the winery.
At the winery: the grapes are completely de-stemmed but not crushed (they are left whole) and are gravity-fed into tanks. Maceration lasted 20 days including 4 days of cold maceration (12°C). Fermentation used indigenous yeasts only (no additives such as enzymes or tannins were used). 5 punchings of the cap.
Ageing
Maturation: aged on the lees for 14 months with no racking using a proportion of 35% new French oak barrels.
Barrels: French oak barrels that had been toasted at low temperatures for a long time for very delicate oaking.
Bottling
Bottling: The wine was gently filtered before being bottled by gravity in February 2020.
Number of bottles: 5,346.
Vintage
2018, abundance and excellence
After a winter that was almost too mild, the vintage was notable for two contrasting periods. Spring was sunny and totally devoid of frost, despite some localized episodes of hail, which had major impact on certain plots on the Côte de Nuits, which were hit in June. Then the summer was dry and hot, blocking the ripening process in places. Picking began early, with exceptionally abundant fruit in tip-top condition, offering the potential for some very fine wines.
Ageing potential: from 4 to 7 years.
Tasting notes
Adorned with a ruby red color, this wine opens with intense aromas of black fruit, but also some mineral notes. On the palate, this powerful and structured wine reveals itself through round tannins.
