Santenay 2017
This is the southernmost appellation in the Côte d’Or, located just to the south of Chassagne-Montrachet …
Origin
Santenay’s vineyards stretch across 400 ha of which 123 ha are planted with Premier Cru vines, divided into 3 distinct zones. The village appellation forms a sort of belt that surrounds the Premiers Crus. Veins of brown soil, mixed in with limestone resurface to the south of Chassagne-Montrachet in the direction of Santenay, just as in Gevrey-Chambertin in the Côte de Nuits.
Our Santenay comes mainly from the northern sector of the appellation, whose climat is "Les Champs Claude", located at the bottom of the hill with a slight slope and under the appellation "Chassagne-Montrachet".
Viticulture
Grape variety: pinot noir
Soils: limestone marl and scree.
Orientation: East
Surface area under vine: 0,54 ha
Pruning: Cordon de Royat system
Yield: 46 hL/ha
Average age of the vines: 35 years old.
Vinification
Harvest date: 11 September 2017.
The grapes were handpicked. They were sorted a first time in the vineyard and again on the sorting table when they arrived at the winery.
At the winery: the grapes were completely de-stemmed but not crushed (they were left whole) and were gravity-fed into tanks. Maceration lasted at total of 20 days including 5 days at 12°C. Only indigenous yeasts were added (no additives such as enzymes or tannins). 5 punchings of the cap.
Ageing
Maturation: aged on the lees for 16 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 to impart a very delicate touch of oak to the wine.
Bottling
Bottling: The wine was not fined but was very gently filtered before being bottled using gravity in March 2019.
Number of bottles: 3,257.
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
The color is brilliant ruby red. The nose exudes intense aromas of berries. On the palate, this delicious, fresh and full-bodied wine reveals silky tannins associated with fruit. A very long wine.
