Marsannay 2016
A recent appellation, Marsannay in the Côte de Nuits produces fantastic red wines as well as
a very significant production of white wines.
Origin
With 27 ha of white grapes under vine and 147 ha of red, the white wines of Marsannay remain something of a curiosity. The vineyards are planted in clay-limestone soil dating back to the Middle Jurassic period. Located in the southern part of the appellation, near the village of Couchey, the vineyard’s eastern exposure along with its small limestone pebbles and numerous faults allow for the production of elegant, pure wines. The 45-year-old vines are planted at an altitude of 230 m.
Viticulture
Grape variety: chardonnay
Soils: deep clay-limestone.
Orientation: East
Surface area under vine: 0.5162 ha
Pruning: Guyot system
Yield: 63 hL/ha
Average age of the vine: 45 years old.
Vinification
Harvest date: 3 October 2016.
The grapes were handpicked and were sorted a first time in the vineyard and a second time when they arrived at the winery.
At the winery: The whole bunches of grapes were gently pressed for 2½ hours. The temperature of the must was brought down to 12°C then was immediately transferred to barrels with no settling to preserve a maximum of lees. Long fermentation (up to 10 months!) using indigenous yeasts.
Ageing
Maturation: aged for 19 months with no racking or stirring to bring out all of this wine’s minerality. 30% new French oak barrels.
Barrels: Oak of French origin toasted at low temperatures for a long time to impart a subtle, delicate touch of oak were used.
Bottling
Bottling: The wine was bentonite fined and very gently filtered before being bottled using gravity in March 2018.
Number of bottles: 7,600.
Vintage
2016 , small is beautiful!
Small volumes, but lovely fruit overall. This is expected to be a great vintage, confirmed by the first tastings in spring. Vintage 2016 offers fine surprises with wines of potentially high quality. White wines have fine fruit aromas, with good body and will be ready to drink while young whereas the red wines are powerful, tender, concentrated and will be ideal for ageing. The harvest was one-third down on average because of the frost that struck the region on 28 April, causing a lot of irreversible damage. This was all the more frustrating as the summer was very hot and sunny, resulting in very dense berries with thick skins, promising concentration and intense wines, but with low yields.
Ageing potential: from 5 to 8 years.
Tasting notes
The color is straw yellow with golden reflections. The rich and complex nose will seduce you with its aromas of white flowers, yellow fruits associated with slightly salty and smoky notes. On the palate, we find the aromas of yellow fruits, the mouth is supple, round with a nice freshness.
