Monthélie 2020
Surrounded by its prestigious neighbors, Volnay, Auxey-Duresses and Meursault, Monthélie has asserted itself over the years. The detour through this picturesque little village has become
a must for lovers of quality wines.
Origin
Monthélie is one of the smallest appellations in the Côte de Beaune, with a mere 120 ha of planted vines, including its minuscule 7.5 ha production of Chardonnay. The altitude is around 280 metres, with steep slopes and a south-easterly exposure which give the grapes excellent maturity year after year. The ground here is so-called ‘white’ soil with a low limestone content, bestowing refinement and subtlety on the wine.
Our supply comes from plots located at the top of the hill.
Viticulture
Grape variety: chardonnay
Soils: mostly limestone.
Orientation: East
Surface area under vine: 0.2113 ha
Pruning: Guyot system
Yield: 50 hL/ha
Average age of the vine: 42 years old.
Vinification
Harvest date: 1st September 2020.
The grapes were handpicked.
At the winery: the whole bunches of grapes were gently pressed for 2½ hours. The temperature of the must was brought down to 12°C then was immediately transferred to barrels (450L), with no settling to preserve a maximum of lees. Long fermentation using indigenous yeasts for added complexity and freshness.
Ageing
Maturation: aged for 17 months with no racking or stirring to bring out all of this wine’s minerality.40% new French oak.
Barrels: French oak barrels that had been toasted at low temperatures for a long time to impart a subtle, delicate touch of oak were used.
Bottling
Bottling: the wine was bentonite fined and very gently filtered before being bottled using gravity in March 2022.
Number of bottles: 1,435.
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: between 7 years to 12 years.
Awards
Bourgogne Aujourd'hui Magazine - 15.5/20
Tasting notes
The color is yellow with golden reflections. The nose will seduce you with its aromas of ripe yellow fruits with a nice lemon frame, associated with nice mineral notes. On the palate, elegance and fatness mix to offer a nice balance, on lemony flavors.
