Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits
Dames Huguettes 2020
Some vineyards have the power to attract by their appearance alone, and it is evident that the Hautes-Côtes fall into this category…
Origin
This appellation is unique as it is considered to be a regional appellation although it is limited to a restricted area. The vineyards run parallel to those of the Côte de Nuits (to the west), but are higher in altitude (between 290 and 450 metres). Over 510 ha are planted with the Pinot Noir grape. The soil resembles that of the Côte de Nuits (limestone and marl).
“Les Dames Huguettes” is without a doubt one of the best terroirs in the Hautes-Côtes as it is located just a few hundred metres from the Nuits-Saint-Georges appellation.
Viticulture
Grape variety: pinot noir
Soils: lean, very calcareous and marly.
Orientation: South/South-East
Surface area under vine: 1 ha
Pruning: high and low vine with Guyot system
Yield: 39 hL/ha
Average age of the vines: 41 years old.
Vinification
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 were 50% destemmed but not crushed (they were left whole) and were gravity-fed into tanks.
Ageing
Maturation: aged on the lees for 15 months with no racking using a proportion of 30% 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 very gently filtered before being bottled using gravity.
Number of bottles: 5,144.
Vintage
Balanced and concentrated
The harvests happened back-to-front! They began with the reds ripening before the whites. The harvest was very disease-free but we had to eliminate sunburnt berries, especially in the case of the Pinot Noir vines as the Chardonnays had coped better with the heat. Quality was definitely good, but relatively low juice yields has resulted in Pinot Noirs with high colour and aromatic intensity. On the other hand, the Chardonnay vines produced adequate yields with a good balance of sugar and acidity. This optimal ripeness enabled us to harvest the red grapes in certain plots according to the ‘vendange entière’ approach, where stalks are fermented along with the grapes. 'Lots of lovely colour in the reds, with very high polyphenol content, firm tannins and excellent levels of acidity. Looks set to be a year with great cellaring potential. Summer fruit coulis notes definitely have the upper hand in this year’s vintage! The whites are nicely-balanced, but it’s too early to be more precise. Watch this space…’ Grégory Patriat.
Ageing potential: From 5 to 7 years.
Tasting notes
With its limpid garnet color, this wine reveals an initial mineral nose, followed by intense aromas of strawberries with a hint of wood. On the palate, the wine is suave, with silky tannins and gourmet flavors.
