Ladoix
1er Cru Hautes Mourottes 2018
If you are coming from Dijon, it is at Ladoix that the Côte de Beaune begins. Ladoix shares with Aloxe-Corton and Pernand-Vergelesses the honour of producing the famous wines of the hill of Corton.
Origin
Created in 1970, there are just 94 ha of vineyards in Ladoix, ¾ of which produce red wine. The appellation features 11 Premier Cru vineyards which benefit from eastern or south-east/southern exposure with altitudes varying between 230 and 325 m. The soils at the upper part of the slope where Les Hautes Mourottes is located are pebbly, reddish, limestone based with a high proportion of marls and considerable flint-limestone fragments.
Les Hautes Mourottes is located just a few metres from the famous Corton-Renardes vineyard. In old local dialect,
Mourottes referred to walls which would indicate that the vineyard was once surrounded by walls.
Viticulture
Grape variety: pinot noir
Soils: stony, reddish and limestone. Presence of marls.
Orientation: East
Surface area under vine: 0.2055 ha
Pruning: Guyot system
Yield: 49 hL/ha
Average age of the vines: 55 years old.
Vinification
Harvest date: 3 September 2018.
The grapes 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 but not crushed (they were left whole) and were gravity-fed into tanks. Maceration with 50% whole bunches of 20 days including 4 days cold (12 ° C): Fermentation used indigenous yeasts only (no additives such as enzymes or tannins were used). Vinification without sulfur. 3 punchings of the cap.
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 for very delicate oaking.
Bottling
Bottling in March 2020, the wine was very gently filtered before being bottled using gravity.
Number of bottles: 1,271.
Vintage
2018 , abundance and excellence
After a winter that was almost too mild, the vintage was notable for two contrasting periods. Spring was sunny and totally devoid of frost, despite some localized episodes of hail, which had major impact on certain plots on the Côte de Nuits, which were hit in June. Then the summer was dry and hot, blocking the ripening process in places. Picking began early, with exceptionally abundant fruit in tip-top condition, offering the potential for some very fine wines.
Ageing potential: from 7 to 10 years.
Tasting notes
With a bright ruby color, this wine reveals intense aromas of whole harvests such as rose and fresh red fruit, intermingled with toasted aromas. The palate is dense and full with a fresh finish.
