Mâcon-Igé
Château London 2018
A bottle of Mâcon contains a big smile from the south of Burgundy. It has a southern feel to it, as do the Roman tiles that top the flat roofs…
Origin
After a short interruption south of the Côte Chalonnaise, vineyards reappear around the town of Tournus. This region is a great producer of primarily white wines. One out of three bottles of white Burgundy comes from the Mâconnais!
Château London is not a brand name, but a vineyard whose name refers to the fact that its original owner lived in rue Landon in Paris. Over time, “Landon” became “London”.
Viticulture
Grape variety: chardonnay & muscat chardonnay
Soils: chalky white limestone
Orientation: South-West
Surface area under vine: 2.72 ha
Pruning: Guyot system
Yield: 54 hL/ha
Average age of the vine: 35 years old.
Vinification
Harvest date: 14 September 2018.
The grapes were handpicked.
At the winery: the whole bunches of grapes were gently pressed for 2½ hours. The temperature of the must was cooled to 12°C and was transferred directly into 450L barrels without settling of the must in order to keep most of the lees. Very long fermentation period using indigenous yeasts.Vinification without sulfur.
Ageing
Maturation: aged for 8 months without being racked. The lees were not stirred so as to allow all of the wine’s minerality to shine through. A proportion of 30% new French oak barrels.
Barrels: French oak barrels toasted for a long time and at a low temperature to impart a subtle, delicate flavour to the wine.
Bottling
Bottling: the wine was bentonite fined and very gently filtered before being bottled using gravity in August 2019.
Number of bottles: 19,651.
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 3 to 5 years.
Tasting notes
The color is yellow with golden reflections. The intense nose will seduce you with its floral aromas, associated with notes of exotic fruits and citrus. On the palate, this gourmet wine is supple and fresh and is distinguished by slightly toasted flavors.
