Ladoix
1er Cru Hautes Mourottes 2021
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: 22 hL/ha
Average age of the vines: 57 years old.
Vinification
Harvest date: 25 September 2021.
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: 50% of grapes were destemmed but not crushed (they were left whole) and were gravity-fed into tanks. Maceration with 50% whole bunches lasted a total of 17 days including 4 days of cold maceration (12°C). Fermentation used indigenous yeasts only (no additives such as enzymes or tannins were used). 3 punchings of the cap.
Ageing
Maturation: aged on the lees for 13 months, in a demi-muid (450L) barrel of 1 wine, 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 by gravity in December 2022, after a slight lenticular filtration.
Number of bottles: 583.
Vintage
A complex vintage!
It is both a winegrower and winemaker’s vintage ! 2021 will unfortunately be remembered quantity-wise for a long time by its disastrous frost early april. Direct consequence: this is probably one of the smallest vintages ever in Burgundy . It offers a very nice and subtle representation of each terroir and its expression, with fruity, freshness and great finesse wines.
Ageing potential: from 6 to 10 years.
Awards
Bourgogne Aujourd'hui Magazine - 15/20
Tim Atkin - 93/100
Tasting notes
With an attractive, brilliant garnet colour, this wine reveals an initial woody nose, followed by intense aromas of raspberries and cherries and finally a few hints of roses. An intense bouquet! The palate is powerful with structuring tannins.
