Nuits-Saint-Georges
1er Cru Les Terres Blanches 2018
Nuits-Saint-Georges is one of those magical names that visitors recite like a rosary. Known the whole world over, Nuits-Saint-Georges has the original profile of a genuine wine village, but on the scale of a small town.
Origin
The Nuits-Saint-Georges appellation has only 6.79 ha of white premier cru. A rarity!
The plot "Les Terres Blanches" located at the edge of the forest of the Mountain on the village of Premeaux-Prissey offers the most famous chardonnays of the appellation. Exposed south, the soil is predominantly limestone, it is light and very filtering. Dotted with small white gravel, it gives its name to the climate.
Viticulture
Grape variety: pinot blanc
Soils: mostly limestone, light and very filtering.
Orientation: South
Surface area under vine: 0.083 ha
Pruning: Guyot system
Yield: 52 hL/ha
Average age of the vine: 40 years old.
Vinification
Harvest date: 7 September 2018.
The grapes were handpicked and were sorted a first time in the vineyard and a second time when they arrived at the winery.
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 with no settling to preserve a maximum of lees. Long fermentation using indigenous yeasts for added complexity and freshness.
Ageing
Maturation: aged for 14 months with no racking or stirring to bring out all of this wine’s minerality, in a 450l-barrel of 1 year.
Barrels: Oak of French origin 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 December 2019.
Number of bottles: 576.
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 5 to 10 years.
Tasting notes
The color is bright yellow with golden reflections. The rich nose will seduce you with its very floral, lime and sweet spice aromas associated with buttery notes. On the palate, the wine is very full and offers great tension for a solar vintage!
