Saint-Aubin
1er Cru Sur Gamay 2017
With its prestigious Premiers Crus, Saint-Aubin in the Côte de Beaune holds a place among the great wines; no doubt the select ‘Côte des Blancs’ coterie will soon be expanding to four.
Origin
The vines are mainly planted on the right flank of the broad combe which meanders towards La Rochepot. The appellation area is spread over two different massifs: one, the Montagne de Savoie, which ends the Côte d'Or and the other with the mountain of Ban which is perpendicular.
This second slope houses the climate "Sur Gamay", located near the appellation of Puligny-Montrachet. The slope is strong and the vine is oriented to the east. The climate is called "Gamay", causing some confusion with the variety of the same name, because the plot is located above the hamlet called Gamay (part of Saint-Aubin). The plot is also called "Sous Roche Dumay" which is close to the climat "Les Murgers des Dents de Chien".
Viticulture
Grape variety: chardonnay
Soils: white, very limestone and stony.
Orientation: South
Surface area under vine: 0.5942 ha
Pruning: Guyot system
Yield: 33 hL/ha
Average age of the vine: 45 years old.
Vinification
Harvest date: 13 September 2017.
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 of 450L with no settling to preserve a maximum of lees. Long fermentation (up to 10 months!) using indigenous yeasts for added complexity and freshness.
Ageing
Maturation: aged for 14 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 February 2019.
Number of bottles: 1,800.
Vintage
2017 – Finesse
The growing cycle was thrown off-kilter by a very cold winter, late spring frost, then optimal conditions for rapid flowering, sporadic hail, and summer drought. Harvesting began in early September in the sun, and after several lean years, the vines finally produced abundant grapes, although with significant differences in maturity between whites and reds and from one region to another, which called for strict sorting.
Ageing potential: from 5 to 8 years.
Tasting notes
The color is bright yellow with golden reflections. The racy nose will seduce you with its aromas of fruit and white flowers, associated with mineral notes but also toasted. On the palate, the wine is smooth and elegant, with a final on tension.
