BEAUNE PREMIER CRU
CLOS DU ROI 2017
BEAUNE PREMIER CRU
CLOS DU ROI 2017
Varietal
Tasting notes
Nose: open with powerful aromas of blackberries seductively enhanced by vanilla notes.
Palate: open, full-bodied and rich, with very present yet silky tannins and spicy notes in the finish.
Food and wine pairing
Serving suggestions
Ageing potential
Origins
This 13-acre Premier Cru vineyard is located at the northern end of Beaune, and grows on well-drained low slopes covered with rocks. It is an early climat which produces beautifully ripe grapes and full-bodied fruity wines with silky tannins. The "Clos du Roi" holds its name from History facts; it refers to the period when King Louis XI annexed the plot and declared it his property when Charles The Bold died in 1477. In addition, the Climat bears the name "Clos" for it still hold traces of the stone walls that enclosed originally the plot.
Vinification and maturing
Using wooden vats during the fermentation process allows for a better integration of the oak in the wine. Daily punch-downs and pump-overs also helped extracting color, tannins and aromas on different levels to get a full-bodied wine with silky tannins and fruity aromas.
Then the wine was matured in french oak barrels for 16 months using 30% new oak to get subtle toasted notes and melted tannins.
Vintage : 2017
In 2017, Burgundy succeed at both quality and quantity levels.
After many vintages impacted by the climatic variation, Bouchard Ainé & Fils recover with the 2017 vintage, a very satisfactory harvest. Not only because the volumes will allow to supply the markets but also because the wines already offer the desire to discover this very elegant vintage.
After spending the winter building up their strength, the vines profited fully from a very warm spring, with budburst in early April ensuring a head start in terms of the growth cycle that was maintained right up to the harvest. The plants progressed from stage to stage free from hindrance, and by mid-June, were flowering before rapid fruit set. An early vintage was confirmed.
During the summer, a few spells of heatwave alternated with more mixed weather.
However, ripening continued at a good pace and by the end of August, the first grapes were being picked, two weeks ahead of average. Harvesting continued until mid-September as each plot reached peak maturity.
Harvest started on the first week of September in Burgundy and ended on September the 30th in the late parcels. The grapes were in exceptional health and required virtually no sorting. Everyone was very enthusiastic about this fabulous fruit, its peak ripeness, and the volumes produced.