Nuits-Saint-Georges
1er Cru Aux Chaignots 2018
Nuits-Saint-Georges is one of those magical names that visitors recite like a rosary. Known the whole world over, Nuits-Saint-Georges has the original profile of a genuine wine village, but on the scale of a small town.
Origin
Half way between Dijon and Beaune, and with an eastern exposure, the vines of Nuits-Saint-Georges extend for 6 kilometres and cover 160 hectares of the village appellation. The local variation in soils, exposure and location produce a great diversity of terroir. The area as a whole is bisected by the little Meuzin river and its valley, and by the village itself.
This climat is located at the top of the slope. Chaignot is diminutive of the Burgundian word Châne for the ancient French noun Châgne "oak". oak-trees thrived up there.
Viticulture
Grape variety: pinot noir
Soils: mostly limestone, scree from the valley.
Orientation: East
Surface area under vine: 0.1840 ha
Pruning: Guyot system
Yield: 30 hL/ha
Average age of the vines: 50 years old.
Vinification
Harvest date: 19 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 20% destemmed and were gravity-fed into tanks. Maceration of 50% lasted a total of 15 days including 3 days of cold maceration (12°C). Fermentation used indigenous yeasts only (no additives such as enzymes or tannins were used). 1 punching of the cap. Vinification without sulfur.
Ageing
Maturation: aged on the lees for 12 months with no racking using a proportion of 60% 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: The wine was gently filtered before being bottled in october 2019.
Number of bottles: 744.
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
Adorned with a beautiful ruby color, this wine reveals very floral aromas on the nose, but also fresh red fruits, associated with some sweet spices. On the palate, it is very silky and fresh and is marked by a nice acidity.
