From wine to bottle

Winegrowing

Two traditional Burgundy grapes are used, Pinot Noir for red wines and Chardonnay for white wines. The vine stocks are planted at one-metre intervals, a planting density of 10,000 vines per hectare (4,000 vines per acre).

After the last leaves have fallen, the vines are pruned using the traditional Burgundy pruning method, “guyot”.

The soil is mounded at the beginning of winter and then removed in spring. It is then worked regularly to prevent weeds taking root. Because the domaine is certified Organic, no weed killers are used. Starting in August, the grass is allowed to compete with the vines, boosting concentration in the grapes.

Only two products are used to prevent disease: copper and sulphur. These products are not absorbed by the plant; they remain on the surface to form a protective barrier against mildew and powdery mildew.

Green harvesting and regular thinning of leaves are carried out in July to favour ripening and concentration in the grapes, and to reduce the risk of disease as much as possible.

Harvesting

The harvest date is set based on the optimum maturity of the grapes.  Special attention is paid to the quality of the skins and seeds.

Harvesting takes 5 days, with a team of about 40 people.

The grapes are picked solely by hand and placed in small crates.

The harvested grapes are sorted twice, once in the vineyard and then in the winery, so that only ripe, healthy grapes are used for each vintage.

This produces low yields, averaging 37 hl/ha.

La vinification

For reds :

Traditional vinification methods are used, with completely de-stemmed’s crops in open vats.

Pre-fermentation maceration takes place over 4 – 7 days.

The local yeasts work naturally and boost the expression of each terroir.

Cap-punching [pigeage] of the vats is generally carried out once a day to favour interactions between the skin, seeds and juice. There may also be [remontage], pumping the wine from the bottom over the surface cap, if the wine requires this.

After twenty days of maceration and fermentation, the free-run wine is drawn from the vat. The press wine, obtained gently with a pneumatic press, is tasted regularly to avoid drying tannins. Only the very best of the press wine is added to the free run wine.

For whites :

When they arrive at the winery, the grapes are de-stemmed and then gently pressed. The must is then placed in vats for a couple of days to clarify before being transferred to barrells. Fermentations take place in oak barrels, 30% of which are new, in the cellar.

Ageing

Red wines:

The wines are aged for about 14 months in medium toasted French oak barrels, 30% of which are new.

Malolactic fermentation is slow, thanks to the temperature in the first level of the cellar dropping significantly in winter. Racking is not carried out.

At the end of the ageing process, the wines are vatted and blended by appellation. They are then bottled under a waning moon, directly in the cellar, by gravity with no fining or filtering.

White wines:

The wines are lightly stirred (batonnage) from the end of the alcoholic fermentation to the beginning of the malolactic fermentation.

At the end of the aging process,  for about 12 months, the wines are vetted and blended by appellation.  They are then bottled under a waning moon, directly in the cellar, by gravity.