Monthélie 2019
Surrounded by its prestigious neighbors, Volnay, Auxey-Duresses and Meursault, Monthélie has asserted itself over the years. The detour through this picturesque little village has become
a must for lovers of quality wines.
Origin
Monthélie is one of the smallest appellations in the Côte de Beaune, with a mere 120 ha of planted vines, including its minuscule 7.5 ha production of Chardonnay. The altitude is around 280 metres, with steep slopes and a south-easterly exposure which give the grapes excellent maturity year after year. The ground here is so-called ‘white’ soil with a low limestone content, bestowing refinement and subtlety on the wine.
Our supply comes from plots located at the top of the hill.
Viticulture
Grape variety: chardonnay
Soils: mostly limestone.
Orientation: East
Surface area under vine: 0.2113 ha
Pruning: Guyot system
Yield: 21 hL/ha
Average age of the vine: 41 years old.
Vinification
Harvest date: 19 September 2019.
The grapes were handpicked.
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 (450L) of 1 wine, with no settling to preserve a maximum of lees. Long fermentation using indigenous yeasts for added complexity and freshness.
Ageing
Maturation: aged for 16 months with no racking or stirring to bring out all of this wine’s minerality.
Barrels: French oak barrels that had been 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 April 2021.
Number of bottles: 600.
Vintage
A legendary vintages?
According to Grégory Patriat, this second harvest at the Ursulines winery will go down as a legendary vintage just like 1969, 1979, 1999, 2009, and 2019, because the concentration in the wines is very high indeed. Years with drought and low yields are always great vintages in Burgundy. We had some new premier crus come online last year, with three in Chambolle-Musigny, one in Gevrey-Chambertin, and one in Nuits-Saint-Georges; Le Clos des Argillères. Furthermore, we revived our tradition of producing white wines in villages better known for their reds, with a white Fixin.
Ageing potential: from 4 to 8 years.
Tasting notes
The color is straw yellow. The nose will seduce you with its aromas of lemon, white flowers, associated with pretty mineral and smoky notes. On the palate, freshness and fat mingle to offer a nice balance, on flavors of citrus zest.
