Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits
Bio 2016
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).
The vineyard is certified organic.
Viticulture
Grape variety: pinot noir
Soils: lean, very calcareous and marly.
Orientation: South/South-East
Surface area under vine: 1.95 ha
Pruning: high vine with Guyot system
Yield: 18 hL/ha
Average age of the vines: 40 years old.
Vinification
Harvest date: 14 October 2016.
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 24 days including 1 week of cold maceration (12°C). Fermentation used indigenous yeasts only. 5 punchings of the cap.
Ageing
Maturation: aged on the lees for 18 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 gently filtered before being bottled, by gravity, at the end of March 2018.
Vintage
2016 , small is beautiful!
Small volumes, but lovely fruit overall. This is expected to be a great vintage, confirmed by the first tastings in spring. Vintage 2016 offers fine surprises with wines of potentially high quality. White wines have fine fruit aromas, with good body and will be ready to drink while young whereas the red wines are powerful, tender, concentrated and will be ideal for ageing. The harvest was one-third down on average because of the frost that struck the region on 28 April, causing a lot of irreversible damage. This was all the more frustrating as the summer was very hot and sunny, resulting in very dense berries with thick skins, promising concentration and intense wines, but with low yields.
Ageing potential: from 6 to 9 years.
Tasting notes
Adorned with a brilliant purple color, this very mineral wine opens with intense aromas of fruit (redcurrant, blackcurrant), but also some notes of spices. On the palate, this wine has body thanks to its supple and silky tannins. It offers a nice freshness at the end of the mouth.
