Meursault and Marsannay Estates - vintage 2009 tasting

CHÂTEAU DE MEURSAULT

CHÂTEAU DE MARSANNAY

Vintage 2009 presale

NA

NC

Y

PARIS

LY

ON

MA

RS

EIL

LE

MULHO

USE

BALE

MARSANNAYLA CÔTE

BEAUNE

FIXIN

GEVREYCHAMBERTIN

CHAMBOLLEMUSIGNY

VOUGEOT

VOSNEROMANÉE

COMBLANCHIEN

PERNANDVERGELESSES LADOIX

SERRIGNY

CHOREY

SAVIGNYLESBEAUNE

POMMARD

VOLNAY

MONTHELIE

AUXEYDURESSES

St ROMAIN

MEURSAULT

PULIGNYMONTRACHET

CORPEAUCHASSAGNEMONTRACHET

SANTENAY

LA ROCHEPOT

CHAGNY

St

ALOXECORTON

COUCHEY

A.3

1

A.36

A.6

A.6

N.6

N.7

4

CÔTE DE NUITS

HAUTES-CÔTES DE NUITS

CÔTE DE BEAUNE

HAUTES-CÔTES DE BEAUNE

PREMEAUX

NUITSGEORGES

MOREYSt DENIS

PommardPremier Cru

Clos des Epenots

Savigny-les-BeaunePremier CruLes Peuillets

Gevrey-Chambertin

Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru

Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru

Marsannay Blanc & Rouge

Marsannay Champs Perdrix

VolnayPremier CruClos des Chênes

Beaune-GrèvesPremier Cru

BeaunePremier Cru Cent Vignes

Clos de VougeotGrand Cru

- Clos du Château- Meursault- Meursault Premier Cru

A MOSAIC OF APPELLATIONSTHROUGH CÔTE DE NUITS & CÔTE DE BEAUNE

A true showcase of the wine-producing Burgundy region, the Château de Meursault property is spread out over 150 acres and includes more than 100 vine parcels at an average range of 10 km on the Côte de Beaune in the villages of Aloxe-Corton, Savigny-les-Beaune, Beaune, Pommard, Volnay, Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet.

Like the entire Burgundian wine-growing region, the parcels are divided and their surfaces vary from 0,25 to 20 acres.

The Pinot noir and Chardonnay varieties reflect the soil from which they emerge, thanks to the expert handling of the master blender and the wine growers of Château de Meursault.

They patiently cultivate the respect of soils, expositions, and climates, all of which interact to bring out the best of each parcel. In this way, vintages produced on vines sometimes only a few meters apart possess their own individual identities.

Farther to the north, in the heart of the Côte de Nuits, Château de Marsannay spreads over 82 acres in Marsannay red, white and rosé; 7 acres of Gevrey-Chambertin and Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru, 3,5 acres hectares of Fixin as well as a few Vosne-Romanée, Clos Vougeot, Chambertin and Ruchottes-Chambertin products.

These two Châteaux are the showcases of distinction established by the Patriarche group. Both Château de Meursault and Château de Marsannay welcome thousands of wine tasters and wine lovers to the prestigious settings of their cellars each year.

CHÂTEAU DE MEURSAULT : FROM VARIOUS SOILS COME PRECIOUS TREASURES

CHÂTEAU DE MARSANNAY :

The high quality of the grapes to be used in the property’s vintages remains the continuing goal of all the wine growers of the Château. 18 wine growers work the vineyards all year round.The soils are richly chalky with well-drained subsoils: hard chalky Jurassics, marly chalky and old chalky alluvial deposits.

Chemical fertilizers were banished almost fifteen years ago; soils that need restructuring are improved according to their needs. They are plowed or weeded when it is really necessary to do so.Treatments are carried out with integrated pest management; over 50 acres, the pest management is organically oriented.

The harvesting is exclusively done by hand and then the grapes are transported to the fermentation cellar of the Château in crates. The grapes are sorted on tables where the best bunches are selected.

The average yield is 35 hl/ha for red wines and 40 hl/ha for white wines.

The fermentation cellar of Château de Meursault is modern and gravity-operated, thus avoiding unnecessary pumping.Once the white grapes are inside, they are lightly pressed after undergoing a static racking that lasts approximately twelve hours. The must is then directly put into barrels or vats to begin alcoholic fermentation.To produce the red wines, the red berries are picked from their bunches and put into vats for 15 to 18 days, depending on the year. During fermentation, the berries are piged and the cap is pumped over several times to obtain an ideal extraction. After pressing, the wine is stored in barrels for aging.

The wood is used in this process for the express purpose of bringing out the qualities of the wine, and never to mask them by being too present and unbalanced.On average, white wines are aged in barrels for between 12 and 15 months; the duration of aging of the reds requires a few extra months. The barrels are stored in the vaulted cellars of the Château in ideal temperature and humidity conditions.

VALUES : AMONG THE VINES AND IN THE CELLARS

TODAY : A TEAM BOUND TO QUALITY

Jean-Claude MITANCHEY Born in Chagny (to a wine-producing family which has its history in Burgundy since 1443), Jean-Claude Mitanchey has been running Château de Meursault since 1980. He also owns a wine-growing property. Jean-Claude is an enologist who graduated from Dijon with a Master’s degree in wine-producing. Most remarkable vintage: 2003 (earliness and the atypical aspect of the year) Favorite white wine of the property : Meursault Premier Cru 1998 Favorite red wines of the property : 2005 and 1990 vintages

Emmanuel ESCUTENAIRE After obtaining an advanced vocational training certificate in Viticulture and Enology, Emmanuel Escutenaire was cellar master for 6 years in a Château in the Côtes de Beaune (90 ha of vineyards). He came to Château de Meursault in September of 2007.Most remarkable vintage : 2003 Favorite white wine of the property : Meursault Premier Cru 2005 Favorite red wine of the property : Volnay Clos des Chênes Premier Cru 2003

Yannick BOURGEOIS Today aged 38, Yannick Bourgeois worked as enologue and cellar master for 3 years in the Jura. He came to the Château in 1999. MOST REMARKABLE VINTAGE : 2003 Has a National Enology DegreeFavorite white wine of the property : Marsannay Champ Perdrix 2006 Favorite red wine of the property : Chambertin Grand Cru 2002

HISTORY : A PROPERTY WITH CENTURIES-OLD HISTORY

Château de Meursault was built in the 11th century. In 1666, the property came into the ownership of Pierre de Blancheton, an attorney in the Parliament of Burgundy. It remained in his family until the French Revolution. It was then sold to a wine merchant from Beaune, Pierre Jobard.In the beginning of the 19th century, the property was extended. At the time it covered a quarter of its current surface. In 1973, André Boisseaux, founder of the Patriarche group, bought the Château and energetically began restoring it. Thanks to him, the vineyards of Clos du Château were replanted in front of the Château.

Château de Meursault is one of the largest wine-producing properties of Burgundy.Today it welcomes nearly 30,000 wine lovers every year.

«The 2009 Vintage» by Bruce Sanderson – Wine Spectator

Burgundy is already heralding 2009 as a great vintage. History is on the region’s side. The vintages on the «nines» have produced some memorable harvests—years like 1999, 1989, 1969, 1959 and 1949. Certainly, if one adheres to the old adage, Août fait le mout—literally, “August makes the must,” the vintage shows promise. During that month, rainfall was well below average, while both temperatures and sunlight hours were above average.But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. When I was in Burgundy mid-November, the wines had not gone through their malolactic conversions yet. Furthermore, the reports from growers and merchants were not always consistent.The year started with a cold winter, ideal for shutting down the vines and inhibiting pests and diseases. Flowering took place homogeneously in early June. Spring and early summer were

both hot and humid, with several thunderstorms, which made it necessary to spray for mildew, oïdium and botrytis.The storms also brought hail in some areas. There was also hail in the Côte de Nuits, in parts of Morey-St.-Denis and Gevrey-Chambertin. Not only did this decrease yield, it advanced ripening. August was hot, dry and sunny. The good weather continued right up through harvest, though rain around the middle of October forced those with any fruit still hanging to pick quickly. Fortunately, the moisture in May, June and July provided enough reserves to prevent any serious drought conditions.The dry weather at the end of the season contributed to healthy fruit at harvest and very little sortingIn the end, some areas had good quantities, while others, particularly in those hit by hail, saw yields 20 percent to 30 percent lower than average. Extraction

came easily, by most accounts, giving wines of deep color and abundant fruit. Alcohol levels in the wines are high, generally reaching a minimum of 13 degrees, but often in the 13.5- to 14-degree range. That, combined with healthy fruit and lower-than-usual acidity levels, resulted in fleshy, forward reds that in some cases lack the structure of a vintage like 2005.«So far this vintage looks like it has a great balance of acidity, ripe tannins, concentration and finesse, a vintage whose level of quality most producers would happily duplicate each year,» said Taupenot.The whites have plenty of fruit and balance, with good acidity. The vintage I heard mentioned the most in comparison with 2009 was 1999. Some also cited 2002. All things considered, it looks like Burgundy lovers will be blessed with charming and fruity reds and whites. Whether it will be great or not remains to be seen.

Bruce Sanderson

2009 Summary – An Excellent, and very Consistent, Vintage of Opulence, Charm and Seduction

There can be no question that 2009 is an excellent vintage, in fact the only legitimate question that I see is simply how good is it? As usual, let me get straight to the point and answer the question that I have already been asked probably 500 times in the last few months: Is 2009 as good as, better than or less interesting than 2005? In my view, 2009 is not quite as good as 2005 overall but there are certainly some growers that performed better or made a few wines that are superior to their 2005counterparts. Otherwise stated, while I don’t believe that 2009 is a great vintage in the classic old school style, there are undoubtedly some spectacular masterpieces that will emerge in time.

Moreover, the average level of quality is extremely high, indeed almost as high as it was in 2005.But, and this is an important “but”, the respective characters of the two vintages are really distinctly different from one another and any attempt to compare them is really an apples and oranges exercise. The 2009s are much more forward and accessible wines than the 2005s were at the same time, in fact I would go so far as to say that they are more accessible today even with their four years of youthful remove relative to the 2005s. While the 2009s will age just fine and better than many recent vintages, it is also fair to observe that they are not the ‘05s in terms of potential longevity.

It is also worth noting that in more than a few cases, the comments that you will read below from various domaines will unequivocally state that they believe their ‘09s are better than their ‘05s. The most frequently cited reason is that of better balance and sometimes, finer tannins or more charm. And these comments are not necessarily marketing hype or apologies for a softer vintage as there really are some potentially stupendous ‘09s.

Before you begin to ask yourself what could there possibly be not to like, let me provide a few cautions. First, some of the ‘09s are over ripe or surmature as the Burgundians would say and lack freshness and verve. No, it’s nowhere near to the point that say the ‘03s were at this early stage but there are indeed some pretty ripe ‘09s. Second, except for those few targeted areas in Chambolle, Morey and Gevrey that were hit by hail, 2009 was an abundant crop and there are some dilute ‘09s. Thirdly, because of the elevated degrees of ripeness, there are some flabby and/or soft ‘09s that make them agreeable today but do not bode well for aging gracefully. Lastly, relatively few ‘09s are true laser beams of terroir and while they are much better than say the ’03s, they certainly are not 2001 or 2008 in this regard.

One of the curiosities of the ’09 vintage is that many growers said that they feared making wines with lower acidities and higher pHs at the time of the harvest. And even though there wasn’t necessarily much malic acidity, the malos were often quite long though as you will see in the grower comments, they were often quite variable as well. In the end, because the amount of malic acid was limited, the pre-malo and post-malo pHs didn’t change dramatically. The point is that despite the fear that the ‘09s could be unduly flabby or dull, this is not at all the case and the wines impart the impression that theiracidities are much more vibrant than the figures would otherwise suggest. There really are very few fat and heavy ‘09s, in fact you will see the adjective ‘fresh’ used much more often in the tasting notes than one might think given the early reports of very high ripeness levels.

Depending on who you spoke to, yields ranged between normal to generous with the difference between the two being more a question of early season hail in certain sectors, particularly the villages sector of Chambolle, Morey and the southern end of Gevrey. As readers know, I am a big advocate of making the distinction between reported yields and effective yields, which is the variance between what is either thrown out on the sorting room floor or not picked in the first place. For the first time since 2005 there is almost no difference between the reported yields and the effective yields because there was uniform ripeness thanks to the rapid flowering with no rot and thus almost everything was picked. And because the bunches and maturity levels were so uniform, most growers reported throwing out less than 5% and in many cases, virtually none at all. Thus a reported yield of 35 hl/ha really is just that and not 42 hl/ha because of 20% sorting losses.There is another curious aspect to the vintage because even though yields were not low and the skins were not particularly thick due to the heavy July rainfall, there is a palpable sense of dry extract present in the average ’09. It would be reasonable to expect to find plenty of wines with “holes in the middle” yet this is infrequent. The average ’09 has that wonderful sense of “inner” concentration (as distinct from extraction) that only natural sap can bring. It is what you will see referred to in the tasting notes as ‘dry extract’ and that is always a positive sign of top quality. Moreover, the perfect weather meant that phenolic maturity was high, which is winemaker lingo for ripeness of the structural and physiological elements of the grapes, such as anthocyanins (essentially pigmentation) and tannins. This density of extract can probably be explained by the relatively high proportion of millerandage, or shot berries, which have very high solids to liquids ratios.

Acids were ripe too and there was a far greater proportion of tartaric than the more aggressive malic, which is generally a positive sign as well. And for those domaines who typically vinify with some proportion of the stems, they used more without fear as the stems had completely lignified (turned brown). In fact, you will see in the winemaker discussions that many of them who typically do not employ stems in their vinifications did so in 2009.

As to potential alcohols, sugars were also excellent but not excessive and while obviously variable, a range of 12.5 to 13.5% is a rough average of what growers reported to me, which also meant that there was minimal if any chaptalization. The average pH came in around 3.5 and ranged from about 3.4 to 3.65, which is about ideal. Perhaps the best news of all is that 2009 is a highly consistent vintage, which is to say that almost everyone made at least good wine. This isn’t to say that everyone succeeded as well as their neighbors did but as grower after grower pointed out, the single most critical decision that is made each and every year, e.g. when to pick, was for once less critical. Indeed some growers went so far as to say that one could have picked on the 9th of September or the 20th and it wouldn’t have made a significant difference. Given the high quality raw materials, a minimum of good to very good wine was almost always the result. In fact, just as they did in 2005, some growers dryly observed that anyone who did not make at least very good wine in 2009 should find another job! Perhaps the best quote came from Olivier Leriche of Domaine de l’Arlot, who acknowledged theinherent risk of assuming that a great start to something necessarily guarantees a great result when he asked, “Do the finest grapes always produce the finest wines? We’ll only find out in time.”

The Weather and Harvest:

After three consecutive years of harvest seasons playing havoc with grower nerves, 2009 was refreshingly tranquil, at least for the most part. Let’s begin our growing season analysis with the 2008 post-harvest period, which is important because it determines how well, and for how long, the vines enter their dormancy phase. October and November were mostly cool but not really cold with sunny and dry days which prevailed until January and February when a serious cold snap ushered the vines into dormancy and reminded me of the “true” Burgundian winters I had experienced in the 1980s.

The mild weather returned in early March with brilliant sunshine and temperatures that averaged more than 2°C higher than normal yet the cold returned on the 20th and remained until the beginning of April. Despite the cold late March weather, the early April weather grew progressively warmer and budburst occurred around the 15th. The warmer than average temperatures allowed for an early flowering which began around the 10th to the 15th of May, depending on the sector in question and which is also 10 to 15 days earlier than was the case in 2008 and about 8 days earlier than the average of the last 15 years. The key point to this though is that the flowering was rapid, which is critical to obtaining uniform ripeness levels at harvest time.

June was several degrees warmer than the rolling last 25 year average with normal to slightly higher than normal precipitation. This commenced a period of intense vigilance by the growers as the conditions were perfect for mildew and botrytis. This vigilance continued into July, where temperatures were normal but the precipitation levels were much higher than average.There was a huge storm on the 14th which had the effect of bloating the bunches and would have a lasting effect on the size of the harvest. Interestingly, there were widespread differences though as the total rainfall from April to the end of August was exactly average in Vosne yet 80 to 100 mm higher than normal in Chambolle and Gevrey. The rainfall periods were concentrated though, which is to say there was heavy rainfall between the 5th and the 15th of June and the 13th to the 18th of July, which allowed for more effective treatments as they were not constantly washed away.

Temperatures are one thing but luminosity is another and is a key factor that tends to be overlooked in terms of aiding grape maturities, in particular pinot noir. While July had close to 40 hours less cumulative sunlight than the 1971 to 2000 period average, June was blessed with about 30 hours more than average, August with almost 50 hours more and even September recorded more than 20 hours. This helps to explain why the phenolic maturities were so good even though the averagetemperatures for the same period were only slightly higher than usual.

The cumulative effect of all the rain was to raise serious concerns of an attack of botrytis. Happily, the drier and hotter than normal weather in August and September effectively stopped the botrytis and also had the effect of helping to concentrate the berries. As it turned out, the extra rain that fell in July was a positive factor as it allowed the vines to accumulate sufficient water reserves such that unlike say 2005 or 2003, there was no appreciable amount of hydric stress. This allowed the full development of phenolic maturity as the photosynthetic cycle was not materially impeded.

As tranquil as this description makes 2009 seem climactically, there were a few unpleasant surprises. Hail fell on the 17th of April in Puligny and Chassagne, on the 21st of May between Chambolle and Gevrey and on the 14th of July in the Hautes Côtes in Beaune, mainly above Savigny.

Véraison began at the end of July and was given a big push when the really warm weather arrived on the 7th of August. The grapes progressively changed color and by the 24th, virtually all sectors had completed véraison. The harvest took place under warm and dry conditions. You will see in the grower commentaries that there was a relatively wide variance in the harvest dates from the 7th to the 21st of September with the average date being the 12th. The harvest date would definitely play an important role with respect to sugars and potential alcohols because there was a sugar spike in the Côte de Nuits relative to the Côte de Beaune that began on the 9th of September and continued to the 12th. Grapes harvested in this period, of which most were, definitely show the effects relative to those harvested earlier as acidities are lower and alcohols higher.

Unlike 2006, 2007 and 2008, there was only minor sorting work required and that was primarily to eliminate any under ripeberries. And even these were primarily from late ripening sites where the flowering was late. Otherwise the fruit went directly to the stemmer/crushers for those who destem

and directly into the fermenters for those who do not. Most growers said that the vinifications were straightforward with the only care being not to over extract.

Sugar levels were higher than average and while a few growers reported levels into the 14% range, the more t pical level was between 12.5 and 13.5%. Total acidities were moderately low to average pre-malo pHs were slightly higher than average.However, because there was a relatively low level of malic acidity present, the malos did not move the needle much on the post-malo pHs, indeed such that the post-malo levels are not

especially high. Many growers report levels in the 3.4 to 3.65 area, which is not really especially high.The fermentations were generally neither slow nor quick to begin and as you will see in the grower commentaries, sometimes relatively long, which is to say as long as six weeks though 17 to 21 days was typical. Most growers reported that the vinifications went smoothly and about the only real decision that growers had to make was how aggressively they elected to extract. Because of the desire to avoid extracting too much tannin however, most growers punched down gently or workedexclusively with pump overs. In fact, some growers spoke of doing more of an infusion, the way that you might steep tea. In a variation on a theme, some elected to do normal punch downs for the first few days and then work more with pump overs.

The rationale is two fold: first, there is the notion that aqueous extraction is gentler than extraction which takes place in the presence of alcohol and two, the seeds are still largely encased in their berry cocoons, which allows for slightly more aggressive punching down without breaking the seeds and extracting their bitter tannins.

Despite the relatively low levels of malic acid, the malos were quite variable, not only in terms of their duration but also the starting date. In those cellars where the malos were not quick to begin, they were typically quite extended as the winter of late 2009 and early 2010 was very cold, which of course meant that those malos that were not already finished, or had not even started, were considerably prolonged. Indeed, when I tasted the ‘09s from cask in October and November many wines hadonly just finished.

If we distill all of the above down to one factor, the main key to success in 2009 was primarily controlling yields so that one did not make dilute wines. Otherwise, there were a number of margin-for-error buffers that raised significantly the overall quality of the vintage.

OUR 2009 OFFERING

CHÂTEAU DE MEURSAULT Chardonnay Clos du Château

CHÂTEAU DE MEURSAULT Savigny-les-Beaune Blanc

CHÂTEAU DE MEURSAULT Meursault

CHÂTEAU DE MEURSAULT Meursault Premier Cru

CHÂTEAU DE MARSANNAY Marsannay Blanc

CHÂTEAU DE MARSANNAY Marsannay Champs Perdrix

CHÂTEAU DE MEURSAULT Bourgogne Pinot Noir

CHÂTEAU DE MEURSAULT Savigny Premier Cru Les Peuillets

CHÂTEAU DE MEURSAULT Beaune Premier Cru Cent-Vignes

CHÂTEAU DE MEURSAULT Beaune Premier Cru Grèves

CHÂTEAU DE MEURSAULT Pommard Premier Cru Clos des Epenots

CHÂTEAU DE MEURSAULT Volnay Premier Cru Clos des Chênes

CHÂTEAU DE MARSANNAY Marsannay Rouge

CHÂTEAU DE MARSANNAY Gevrey-Chambertin

CHÂTEAU DE MARSANNAY Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru

CHÂTEAU DE MARSANNAY Clos-de-Vougeot Grand cru

CHÂTEAU DE MARSANNAY Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru

VINEYARD AND SOIL

The CLOS DU CHATEAU DE MEURSAULT is an 20 acres Ha plot of land planted with chardonnay vines in 1975. The vine was introduced in the place of woody grounds.

Two hundred years earlier, the plot of land had already been declared as a vineyard.

Situated to the east of the Château, the rows of vines 1650 feet long slope down to the main road. A big outer wall situated to the north and south protects it from prevailing winds.

The vines grow on a soil of slightly chalky alluvial deposits, the soil is quite gravelly and well-drained, and the parts sheltered by the outer wall mature very early. The plot of land is enclosed in the AOC (guarantee of origin) Meursault area for the ¼ of its surface area nearest the Château.

Managed organically for 6 years, this plot of land produces really mature chardonnay grapes with a yield that never goes above 50 hl/Ha, which puts it in the perfect conditions to produce AOC Burgundy regional white wine.

WINE-MAKING AND AGING

Converted into wine like a Chardonnay from a great white wine soil, in brand new barrels or barrels of 1 or 2 wines and stainless steel vats, the CLOS DU CHATEAU wine is practically at the same qualitative level as that of a Meursault village.

COMMENTS

VINEYARD AND SOIL

The vineyard is exposed to the south/southeast, east and northeast. It is situated between 220 and 360 m of altitude.

The Château de Meursault property includes 5.88 acres of Savigny Blanc appellation, spread over two parcels. One of the parcels is located on the hilltops at a place called «Goudelettes» (1.46 acres) on a brown chalky and hard chalky soil, and another at the bottom of the hills at a place called «Peuillets» (3.16 acres) on old alluvial deposits and gravel, with a well-drained soil.

These vines produce raisins of a beautiful maturity with low yields.


100% Chardonnay based wine.Manual harvesting, followed by slow, progressive pressing, makes it possible to select only the richest juices.

Static racking for approximately twelve hours clarifies the musts, which are then directly put into oak barrels and stainless steel vats to begin alcoholic fermentation. The grapes of each parcel are pressed, vinified and fermented separately from those of other parcels to bring out the essential tang of each soil. Vinified and, for 15% of its volume, fermented in brand new barrels, and for the rest in barrels of 1 or 2 wines and stainless steel vats, each type is regularly agitated and tasted to bring out a perfect woody harmony. The entire vintage is assembled before bottling after a 12 month aging.

COMMENTS

VINEYARD AND SOIL

Meursault is probably the most prestigious village for white wines in Burgundy. Located in the south of the Côte de Beaune, its vineyard is spread over gradual slopes between the altitudes of 230 and 360 meters. Its eastern orientation is very favorable with its maximum exposure.

This vintage is based on the assembly of the various climates of Meursault before bottling. The complexity obtained through the essential tang of each soil is unique. The mineral qualities of Grands Charrons (4.57 acres), the generosity of Dressolles (2.35 acres) and the finesse of Limozins (1.43 acres) joined with the climates of Meix-Chavaux (1.15 acres), Ormeaux (0.51 acres) and Sous La Velle (0.69 acres) are marvelous examples of the soils of Meursault.These Chardonnay-planted vineyards express their quality on a hard chalky Jurassic soil located on old alluvial deposits.

Of an average age of thirty years, these vineyards are partially cultivated using an organic approach. The maturity is optimal and the yield is approximately 40 hl per hectare.


100% Chardonnay based wine. Manual harvesting, followed by slow, progressive pressing, makes it possible to select only the richest juices.

Static racking for approximately twelve hours clarifies the musts, which are then directly put into oak barrels and stainless steel vats to begin alcoholic fermentation. The grapes of each parcel are pressed, vinified and fermented separately from those of other parcels to bring out the essential tang of each soil. Fermented in brand new oak barrels of French origin for approximately 35%, each barrel is regularly agitated and tasted for a perfect woody harmony.The contents are assembled before bottling after a 12 to 15 month aging.

The characteristics of this wine are revealed after keeping the wine from 4-5 years up to approximately 15 years.

COMMENTS

VINEYARD AND SOIL

Bottom associated with two plots of Perrières land, a typical crop from the Chateau that represents a genuine soil. Diversity with 6 plots of Charmes land between the soils of Charmes from the top, the middle and theThe hygrometry of the climate half-way up the hill facing at an altitude of approximately 250m.Three major types of soil :-hard chalky Jurassic -marly chalky -old chalky alluvial deposits

The vineyard is ideally situated because it is sheltered from the winds from the mountains in the west situated below the quarries so the soil is well drained

The Château de Meursault is the only estate to have vines in both of Meursault’s beautiful soils. Charmes (11,60 acres) and Perrières (2,70 acres), the first two vintages are blended together to obtain a wine that takes advantage of the qualities of the first two vintages.

The Perrières are made up of an eroded soil that reveals stones with little earth but dense and clayey. Perrières gives mineral wines with excellent fullness.The Charmes are situated on a deeper, well-drained soil; the wines are thus rounder with an elegant structure.The organoleptic qualities of these two vintages complement one another perfectly.


This wine is 100% Chardonnay, fruit of blending together two first vintages, CHARMES and PERRIERES.Part of it ages in a brand new barrel and part in a barrel with a wine with 30% in a brand new barrel, 35% in a barrel with 1 wine and 35% in a barrel with 2 wines that come from France. The average maturing period is from 12 to 18 months

COMMENTS

VINEYARD AND SOIL

The most recent of the AOC Burgundies (1987), promoted to the rank of village appellation, belongs to the prestigious sub-region of the Côte de Nuits which starts just south of Dijon. Marsannay is the only village that has an appellation extending to red, rosé and white wines.

This vineyard is exposed to the east and south along gradual slopes between the altitudes of 260 and 320 m.

The soils are dark brown, dry, of a marly chalky clayey composition, revealing stones and gravel favorable to good natural drainage.


The harvest is manual, followed by transport in an aerated crate.The grapes are sorted on tables and then slowly and delicately pressed for a progressive extraction of the best juices. The pressing is followed by static racking cold from 24 to 36 hours to clarify the musts and thus guarantee a wonderful aromatic purity.

After racking, the must is then directly put into barrels or vats to begin alcoholic fermentation. We use brand new barrels and barrels of 1 or 2 wines for approximately 10% of the volume. The rest of the volume is fermented in stainless steel vats sur lie (over sediment) to preserve its freshness and mineral qualities.

The entire vintage is assembled before bottling after a 12 month aging.

COMMENTS

VINEYARD AND SOIL

This place name, the farthest south of the appellation, is located on a hillside, between the altitudes of 300 and 375 m with a slope up to 15%.

It features a very favorable southeast exposure and a subsoil mainly made up of chrinoidial limestone with the parent rock outcropping here and there.

The Château de Marsannay property includes a parcel of 3 acres of Marsannay Blanc «Les Champs Perdrix».


The harvesting is manual, followed by transport in an aerated crate and sorting upon arrival at the fermentation cellar. The sorted grapes are put into vats for a pellicular maceration of 12 hours to improve the aromatic potential of the must. This maceration is followed by a slow, progressive pressing to gently extract the best juices.

The must thus obtained is clarified by a static racking cold for 36 hours to preserve its aromatic purity.

After racking, the must is then directly put into barrels, for 10% of its volume, or into vats, to begin alcoholic fermentation.The aging continues for 15 months, sur lie, with frequent agitation.The entire vintage is assembled before bottling.

COMMENTS

VINEYARD AND SOIL

This vintage is derived from several parcels located at the bottom of hills in the villages of Pommard and Savigny les Beaune.

The soil is brown and clayey-chalky.

The grapes of Pinot noir are of a late maturity.

The grapes harvested on these parcels give powerful, dense juices.


100% Pinot noir based wine. Manual harvesting and strict selection on the sorting table from the harvest to the cellar means only the healthiest grapes are kept.The berries are picked from their bunches and then put into vats for 15 to 18 days.

1st step : Cold prefermentary maceration for 5 to 6 days to extract the fruit and color.2nd step : Alcoholic fermentation

These steps are interspersed with several pigeages and pump-overs to obtain a complete, delicate extraction.Pneumatic pressing with separation of juices, then aging for approximately 12 months in brand new barrels for 10%, barrels of 1 or 2 wines for 30% and stainless steel vats for 60% of the volume.

COMMENTS

VINEYARD AND SOIL

Three parcels varying in age, planted between 1949 and 1991, on a surface of 4.72 acres planted in Pinot Noir.

This place, called «Peuillets», is located at the foot of the hillside on a shallow soil made up of a bed of gravel, a very well-drained, dry, premature soil that confers generosity, finesse and elegance to its wines.


100% Pinot noir based wine. Manual harvesting and strict selection on the sorting table from the harvest to the cellar means only the healthiest grapes are kept.Grapes picked from their bunches and then put into vats for 15 to 18 days.


These steps are interspersed with several pigeages and pump-overs to obtain a complete, delicate extraction.

Pneumatic pressing with separation of juices, then aging for approximately 12 months in brand new barrels for 30%, barrels of 1 or 2 wines for 60% and stainless steel vats for 10% of the volume.

COMMENTS

VINEYARD AND SOIL

The vineyard of Beaune is almost entirely located on a slope and thus benefits from a general classification of its climates in Premier Cru which includes Les Cent Vignes. This red Premier Cru has a south/southeast exposition.

The grapes come from a 4.89 acres parcel (which includes vines of various ages, between 12 and 50 years old). The parcel has very good exposition and is situated mid-hill, on the north side of the Beaune just below the «Premier Cru» Les Fèves.

The soil is slightly stony, well drained and well exposed, which gives early grapes. The Pinot noir grapes produced on these vines offer a beautiful concentration of aroma and color.




These steps are interspersed with several pigeages and pumping-overs to obtain a complete, delicate extraction.Pneumatic pressing with separation of juices, then aging for approximately 12 months in brand new barrels for 30%, barrels of 1 or 2 wines for 60% and stainless steel vats for 10% of the volume.

COMMENTS

VINEYARD AND SOIL

«Les Grèves» is located in the north of the appellation Beaune Premier Cru, between the places called «Les Toussaints», «Les Bressandes» and «Les Theurons».In French, «Grèves» means «small stones», which describes the soil of these vineyards. This is the largest vineyard of the Beaune Premier Cru.

Our 5.54 acres parcel has very good exposition, located at the foot of a hillside on a light, well-drained soil. The Pinot noir grapes produced on this vine are small and early-ripening. The Beaune Premiers Crus are generally very generous, pleasing and flattering. Although less well-known than those of Pommard or Volnay, they have no less class, especially the Grèves.


100% Pinot noir based wine. Manual harvesting and strict selection on the sorting table from the harvest to the cellar means only the healthiest grapes are kept.Grapes picked from their bunches and then put into vats for 15 to 18 days.


These steps are interspersed with several pigeages and pumping-overs to obtain a complete, delicate extraction.

Pneumatic pressing with separation of juices, then aging for approximately 12 to 15 months in brand new barrels for 30%, barrels of 1 or 2 wines for 60% and stainless steel vats for 10% of the volume. COMMENTS

VINEYARD AND SOIL

Just one 8.99 acres parcel planted with Pinot noir, made up of four vineyards of various ages planted between 1948 and 1978.

The parcel is located in the north of Pommard, featuring a brown, chalky, warm and well-drained soil situated on old alluvial deposits.

This vine ripens early, producing small grapes that are always quite ripe and concentrated.




These steps are interspersed with several pigeages and pumping-overs to obtain a complete, delicate extraction.

Pneumatic pressing with separation of juices, then aging for approximately 15 months in brand new barrels for 30% and barrels of 1 or 2 wines for 70% of the volume.

COMMENTS

VINEYARD AND SOIL

Situated at the top of the hills to the south of the village of Volnay, this 6.50 acres plot of land is surrounded by a wall that forms the “clos” (the vineyard) of the “Clos des Chênes”.

4 vines of more than 50 years old (the oldest has been planted in 1948) and 2 vines dating back from 1980 and 1983 are planted there.

This rough, humid and rustic soil is made up of white calcareous clay that gives Pinot Noir their quality black and compact grapes that ripen late. The wines are dark and dense.


Part of it ages in a brand new barrel and part in a barrel with a wine with 30% in a brand new barrel, 35% in a barrel with 1 wine and 35% in a barrel with 2 wines that come from France, the Clos des Chênes is sampled after five years and up to 10/15 years.

COMMENTS

VINEYARD AND SOIL

The most recent of the AOC Burgundies (1987), promoted to the rank of village appellation, belongs to the prestigious sub-region of the Côte de Nuits which starts just south of Dijon. Marsannay is the only village whose appellation extends to red, rosé and white wines.

This vineyard is exposed to the east and south along gradual slopes between the altitudes of 260 and 320 m. The soils are dark brown, dry, of a marly chalky clayey composition, revealing stones and gravel favorable to good natural drainage.


The entire harvest is carried out manually. The grapes are transported to the fermentation cellar in aerated crates to be sorted. Then all the berries are picked from their bunches before being put into vats. Prefermentary maceration, which is necessary to weaken the grape skin and to liberate the precursory aromas, lasts 8 days before the beginning of alcoholic fermentation.This takes place slowly through rigorous temperature control.Two pigeages and two pump-overs are carried out every day until the temperature reaches 25°C. From then on, the pigeages are ceased, to keep the extraction from being too sudden and the tannins from becoming excessive.For the same reasons, maceration is continued for several days after the end of the alcoholic fermentation.After pressing, the wines are mostly aged in arrels, including 15% of brand new barrels, and in vats to begin aging, which will last 10 to 14 months, depending on the vintage.

COMMENTS

VINEYARD AND SOIL

Gevrey Chambertin is the northernmost village of the Côte de Nuits. It includes 26 Premier Crus and 8 Grands Crus.

The soils are chalky with a good proportion of marly clays, bringing fullness and strength to the wines, as well as a more or less profound depth.


After manual harvesting, the grapes are transported in aerated crates. Upon arrival at the fermentation cellar, they are sorted and the berries are picked from their bunches to be put in vats. Prefermentary maceration lasts 8 days before alcoholic fermentation begins.This prefermentary maceration is necessary to extract the precursory aromas and especially to weaken the grape skin, which then facilitates extraction of the tannins. In the beginning of alcoholic fermentation, when the temperature is below 25°C, two pigeages and two pumping-overs are carried out per day. The the pigeages are ceased to encourage a natural extraction of the tannins.After 23 days of fermentation of the skins, the wine is taken from the vats and the skin is pressed. The wine will have been directly aged in vats (including 20% of the volume in brand new barrels) for its malolactic fermentation.

The wine remains sur lie, without racking, for the entire duration of its aging, which lasts 14 months.

COMMENTS

VINEYARD AND SOIL

Gevrey Chambertin is the northernmost village of la Côte de Nuits. It includes 26 Premier Crus and 8 Grands Crus.

The soils are chalky with a good proportion of marly clays, bringing fullness and strength to the wines, as well as a more or less profound depth.

The wine is the result of the blend of 2 parcels : Bel Air and Champonnet located on the top of the slope, ideally located.


Manual harvesting and transport of the grape in aerated crates allows the berries to remain intact.

Next, sorting allows to only put the grapes that are perfectly ripe and healthy in vats. Through a reduction of the temperature of the must, the prefermentary maceration is spread over 11 days before alcoholic fermentation begins.Pigeages are carried out in the beginning of the alcoholic fermentation when the temperature of the fermentation is low (<25°C) and when the alcohol content is weak.

The fermentation of the skins continues for 6 days after the end of the alcoholic fermentation to gently perfect the extraction.Bulk aging is carried out in barrels (50% brand new barrels), sur lie and without racking for 16 months.

COMMENTS

VINEYARD AND SOIL

The village of Vougeot is located in the center of the Côte de Nuits, with Chambolle to the north and Vosne Romanée to the south. The particularity of this village is that 75% of its vineyards are classified Grand Cru (Clos Vougeot).

The total surface of the vineyard is 123.55 acres. Château de Marsannay is one among 88 owmens in these vineyards.

The soil is chalky, more or less clayey, and contains many stones, allowing for good drainage of the vines. The eastern orientation of the vineyard is very favorable with its maximum exposure.


After manual harvesting and transport in aerated crates, the grapes arrive intact at the fermentation cellar to be sorted. Only the best bunches are put into vats.

After a 10 days prefermentary maceration, which weakens the grape skin and facilitates the gentle extraction of tannins and color, the alcoholic fermentation begins, with two pigeages per day.

The frequency of the pigeages diminishes as the alcoholic fermentation advances, until they are entirely ceased.

The fermentation of the skins continues after the end of the alcoholic fermentation to allow for a gentle extraction of the tannins through infusion.

The aging is carried out 100% in brand new barrels, sur lie and without racking, to be bottled after 18 months.

COMMENTS

VINEYARD AND SOIL

Gevrey Chambertin is the northernmost village of la Côte de Nuits. It includes 26 Premiers Crus and 8 Grands Crus. Half of the Premiers Crus surround the Grands Crus (in the area of Morey); the other half is to the north near combe de Lavaux, with chalky and clayey soils.

The Grands Crus of Gevrey Chambertin are situated on a gentle slope with eastern exposure in the southern part of the village.

The soil is chalky underneath and clayey on the surface, which gives the wines their strength and fullness.Ruchottes Chambertin is quite close to Chambertin Clos de Beze.


After manual harvesting and transport in aerated crates, the grapes are sorted to select only the best bunches.

After a 12 days prefermentary maceration, alcoholic fermentation begins.Beginning with one pigeage per day in the beginning of the alcoholic fermentation, the frequency is quickly reduced to one per day, and then ceased. The goal is to extract the tannic structure gently and sparingly, through infusion and not through mechanical action, pigeage, which would be more sudden and «rough».

After 23 days of fermentation of the skins, the juice is removed and the grape skins are pressed.The wine is directly put into brand new barrels to begin aging.

It will remain in the wood, sur lie and without racking for 18 months.

COMMENTS

CHÂTEAU DE MEURSAULT

CHÂTEAU DE MARSANNAY

Documents

Meursault and Marsannay Estates - vintage 2009 tasting