Volnay
1er Cru Santenots 2018
Situated in the Cote de Beaune, the Volnay vineyards have enjoyed a solid reputation since the 9th Century.
These wines were enjoyed by the Dukes of Burgundy and Kings of France - that says it all !
Origin
Contrary to its name, “Les Santenots” is not located in the village of Volnay, but in Meursault, just to the south. Though best known for its white wines, certain terroirs, such as Les Santenots, located mid-hill, happen to be better adapted to bringing out all the finesse the Pinot Noir grape has to offer.
Several hypotheses exist concerning the name of this locality: "Santenots" may come from the Latin SENTES "brambles, thorny bushes". It may also be derived, as was the name of the village of Santenay, from the Gaulish SENTU "way" (alluding to the roads that passed through there to link Auxey-Duresses with the Roman road). It could also refer to 2 “ouvrées” (=1/12 hectare) of vines in La Sautenot (that could have been located in the Les Santenots area), that the Abbess of the Tart Abbey gave to the Abbey of Cîteaux in 1218.
Viticulture
Grape variety: pinot noir
Soils: brown marls and small pebbles.
Orientation: East
Surface area under vine: 0.9 ha
Pruning: Guyot system
Yield: 48 hL/ha
Average age of the vines: 65 years old.
Vinification
Harvest date: 28 August 2018.
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. Maceration with entire grapes lasted a total of 18 days including 5 days of cold maceration (12°C). Fermentation used indigenous yeasts only (no additives such as enzymes or tannins were used). Vinification without sulfur.
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 for very delicate oaking.
Bottling
Bottling in March 2020, the wine was very gently filtered before being bottled using gravity.
Number of bottles: 5,879.
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: 10 years and more.
Tasting notes
With a beautiful dark color. This wine exudes spicy notes on the first nose, while delicacy. There are some notes of violet. On the palate, aromas of cherry, and a slight woodiness, reveal a very fresh wine, even tangy, very nice balance.
