Beaune
1er Cru Les Grèves 2013
In Beaune, wine and pleasure are at the top of the agenda!
Pleasure on the eyes in the form of the Hospices, and pleasure of the senses with the superb mosaic of nature and humans formed by the vineyards of Beaune.
Origin
The vineyards of Beaune are unique in that out of approximately 400 ha of vines under production, over 300 ha are classified as Premier Cru. The appellation is divided into two parts, north and south, which are separated by a division marked by the road that goes from Beaune up to Bouze-Lès-Beaune.
In Old French, “Grèves” referred to sandy soil that was well adapted to viticulture. The 30-hectare “Les Grèves” vineyard is assuredly one of Beaune’s best-known Premiers Crus. Seen from above, it forms a square block and occupies the entire length of the gentle, east-facing slope.
Viticulture
Grape variety: pinot noir
Soils: very stony and sandy
Orientation: east
Surface area under vine: 0,8800 ha
Pruning: Guyot system
Yield: 46 hL/ha
Average age of the vines: 70 years old.
Vinification
Harvest date: October the 6th 2013.
The grapes were handpicked. They 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, 50% left whole and were gravity-fed into tanks. Maceration lasted a total of 25 days including one week of cold maceration (12°C). Fermentation used indigenous yeasts only (no additives such as enzymes or tannins were used). Infrequent punching of the cap (8 maximum).
Ageing
Maturation: aged on the lees for 16 months with no racking using a proportion of 40% new French oak barrels.
Barrels: French oak barrels that had been toasted at low temperatures for a long time to impart a very delicate touch of oak to the wine.
Bottling
Bottling: the wine was not fined but was very gently filtered before being bottled using gravity in February 2015.
Vintage
2013, a tardy but typically Burgundian vintage
With harvests in October once again, sorting the grapes was key to the success of this vintage. After 10 days of picking and around a month of vinification, the wines began ageing in oak at the end of October. Some excellent acidity foretells of wines with good keeping potential for both whites and reds.
Ageing potential: 10 years and more.
Tasting notes
With a very intense ruby color, this wine opens up with aromas of black fruit and black pepper. The nose is very open! This wine reveals itself on the very powerful palate. We find black fruits and spices. A Premier Cru at the level of a Grand Cru, for sure.
