Presentation
And what if the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits were the future of Burgundy... A few kilometres to the west of the Grand Crus of the Côte de Nuits, with similar soil profiles, the vineyards of the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits flourish… This is the seat of the Delaunay family, who settled at the Château de Charmont in l’Etang-Vergy in 1954. Here, the higher altitudes (100 to 150 m) of the vines could be a solution to climate change worth exploring with an offer of fresh, pure, elegant wines. Faithful to our history, we want to contribute to showcasing these terroirs of the future that further valorise our beautiful region of climats that is Burgundy, just as the monks of the Citeaux Abbey did in the Middle Ages. Our ambition is to identify and vinify separately, year after year, a few of the outstanding Hautes-Côtes climats in order to showcase the unique qualities of these plots which, over time, could very well produce Burgundy’s future grand wines.
Terroir
Located in the heights of Premeaux-Prissey (south of Nuits-Saint-Georges), above the Nuits-Saint-Georges “Les Didiers”, “Les Perdrix” and “Clos des Corvées” premier crus, at an approximate altitude of 375 m, the “Le Mont” vineyard overlooks the southern Côte de Nuits and espouses its optimal eastern exposure, which, along with its proximity to the Côte, and the white soil scattered with limestone shards allow the vines to produce Chardonnay grapes that benefit from ideal conditions and reach their peak of ripeness. It comes as no surprise that the wines that come from such a terroir boast the finest characteristics of Burgundy Chardonnays: optimal ripeness of the grapes, elegance, balance, complexity and depth enhanced by mineral notes due to the limestone terroir and higher altitude.
Winemaking
The grapes are harvested by hand and gently pressed as whole bunches. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in barrels (fine-grained French oak from Central France forrests) and lasts about two weeks. During the fermentation phase, light stirring of the lees and gentle micro - oxygenation are alternated . Barrel ageing on fine lees lasted 11 months.
Varietal
Chardonnay : 100%
Specifications
Alcohol content : 13 % vol.
Contains sulphites.
Tasting
Beautiful pale yellow color. The nose is expressive and complex, with lovely vegetal notes of almond, freshly sawn wood and little white flowers (daisy, lime blossom). This is followed by sweeter notes (barley sugar, red fruit candy), giving the wine a delicate, pleasant sweetness. Subtle hints of raspberry. The attack is superb, round and ample, with well-integrated acidity. Refreshing aromas of mint and anise emerge on the palate. An expressive, straightforward wine with a rich, long finish.
Food pairings
Ideal with grilled white fish, roasted poultry, or a vegetable tart with fresh herbs.
Reviews
Jancis Robinson
La Revue du Vin de France
