Santenay
1er Cru Passetemps 2022
This is the Côte d’Or’s southernmost appellation, located just to the south of Chassagne-Montrachet …
Origin
Santenay’s vineyards stretch across 400 ha of which 123 ha are planted with Premier Cru vines, divided into 3 distinct zones.
The climat "Passetemps", located in the North of the appellation, is composed by two plots on a hillside located just below the "Clos des Mouches". and not far from the village of Chassagne-Montrachet. The vines are exposed south-east and benefit from a predominantly clay soil.
The name "Passetemps" probably comes from the fact that it was nice to spend time working on these plots.
Viticulture
Grape variety: chardonnay
Soils: mostly clay.
Orientation: East
Surface area under vine: 0.4173 ha
Pruning: Guyot system
Yield: 51 hL/ha
Average age of the vine: 57 years old.
Vinification
Harvest date: 1st September 2022.
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 with no settling to preserve a maximum of lees. Long fermentation using indigenous yeasts for added complexity and freshness.
Ageing
Maturation: aged for 18 months in a 450-L barrel, with no racking or stirring to bring out all of this wine’s minerality. 33% new oak barrel.
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 March 2024.
Number of bottles: 2,438 bottles & 200 magnums.
Vintage
Abundance and excellence!
Despite the drought, we saw consistent volumes combined with quality. Almost no sorting was required as the grapes were superb. The winemaking process went smoothly. Perfect conditions offering the potential for some very fine wines.
Ageing potential: 10 years and more.
Tasting notes
With its brilliant pale yellow color, this wine reveals mineral, smoky aromas mixed with yellow fruit and buttery notes. The ample mouthfeel is mouth-watering. A stony character.
