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BOURGOGNE HAUTES-CÔTES
DE BEAUNE 2016

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DE BEAUNE

BOURGOGNE HAUTES-CÔTES
DE BEAUNE 2016

click on one of the vintages below for further information
2022  

Varietal

100 % Chardonnay.

Tasting notes

Colour: Elegant gold with green tints.

Nose: Fresh, pure perfumes of white fruits (pear, peach) and white flowers (linden).

Palate: A pleasant and lively wine with a floral attack on white fruits and almonds flavours with delicate woody notes.

Food and wine pairing

White Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune is the perfect choice for aperitifs. During a meal, try with an hors d'oeuvre of cold cuts or fish.

Serving suggestions

Serving temperature between 13 and 14°C. (55°-57F.).

Ageing potential

Already pleasant to drink, it can be kept in the cellar for 3 to 5 years.

Origins

Situated to the west of and parallel to the Côte de Beaune, the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune are higher hills, interspersed with faults, giving great variety to the crops and landscapes. What makes the Hautes-Côtes so special is the original way in which the vines are grown: high, wide vines that are less susceptible to frost than low vines.

The appellation covers 22 communes in Côte-d'Or and 7 communes in Saône-et-Loire. It covers an area of 835 hectares, with 669 hectares of red and rosé wines and 166 hectares of white wines.

- Clay-limestone soils. Marly formations, slopes covered with limestone scree.
- South-east exposure.
- Steep slopes.
- Altitude between 280 and 450 metres.

Vinification and maturing

Once the grapes had been sorted and destemmed, the must was extracted by pneumatic pressing, then cooled and left to settle for 24-48 hours. The juice was then brought down to 18°C to start the alcoholic fermentation (which lasted 3 weeks) in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats. Part (40%) of the cuvée was then placed in barrels (15% new) for 8 months' ageing before final blending. Light filtration before bottling.

Vintage : 2016

Our dearest Burgundy region could be the embodiment of that famous motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur...because for several years now it’s been suffering the whims of the weather and has always been capable of producing great wines out of it. Once again, the vintage 2016 will be a tangible proof!

Everything started from a very mild winter...maybe too mild to be honest. Actually, we should have been more wary of that sign for it was the warmest winter the region was going through since 1900. Sometimes the gap in the temperatures compared to the seasonal norms exceeded a 100%. In addition, the rain fell in excess particularly in Côte d’Or and as a consequence the lack of sun was really important.

Winter really came 3 months late, in March, but didn’t settle as the bursting of the first buds appeared at the beginning of April. So, as spring really settled, it also brought its share of climatic disasters: first, it was a hail storm that hit the South of the Mâconnais region; then, the most tragic freezing night in April, 26th stroke almost all the region from the Grand Auxerrois to Côte Chalonnaise; and finally, 2 more hail storms on the 13th and 27th May lashed over Chablis, leaving the region with almost no hope of harvest.

This year, until summer, we went through very difficult times and had to hope for the vines to find the strength to grow again. Somehow our wish was granted, and the vegetative cycle started again, with great gaps from one plot to another. Due to all the climatic events, the flowering came late (mid-June) but didn’t last long thanks to hot temperatures.

From the month of July, the extremes reversed: the temperatures as well as the amount of sunshine exceeded the seasonal norms. Fortunately for the grape, it lasted until the end of October, allowing for a good maturity.

Harvest began on September, 20th and spread over a month thanks to the great weather conditions, leaving us the opportunity to harvest each plot at its best.

Finally, the grapes we harvested were of great quality and although the plots hit by hail or frost gave almost nothing, the other had good yields.

During the vinifications, the vintage quickly revealed its high quality. We are expecting the wines to be well-balanced, with a good structure and a lot of freshness as well as finesse.


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