BOURGOGNE HAUTES-CÔTES DE BEAUNE

BOURGOGNE HAUTES-CÔTES DE BEAUNE 2021

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2020 2021 2022

Grape variety

100% Chardonnay.

Tasting notes

Colour : Gold with green tints.
Nose : Fresh, pure perfumes of white fruits such as pear or peach and white flowers (linden).
Palate : A pleasant and lively wine with a floral attack on white fruits and almonds flavours with delicate woody notes.

Wine and food pairing

It will be the perfect companion to snails, fish dishes or stir-fries. When a little older, its increased roundness and density will bring out the best from richer dishes such as fish in sauce or crustaceans and cheeses such as the French Bleu de Bresse, goat cheeses, and cheeses of the Gruyère family.

Serving temperature

Serve ideally at a temperature situated between 13 and 14°C. (55°-57F.).

Ageing potential

Already pleasant to drink, it can be kept in the cellar for 3 to 5 years.

History

Regional appellation of the Hautes Côtes vineyard district (dept. of Côte-d’Or) in Burgundy. The appellation, officially granted in 1961, comprises of 12 communes of the Hautes Côtes district plus the upper portions of 10 communes lying in the Côte de Beaune. In the Saône-et-Loire dept., it spreads over four communes of the Hautes Côtes as well as on the heights of three communes of the Côte de Beaune.

The Hautes Côtes overlooks the Côte de Beaune from the west, lying between Maranges and Ladoix-Serrigny. The interior is a succession of hills and valleys. The vines cover the sunny slopes at the foot of a limestone cliff. The villages clinging to the hillsides are composed of white stone buildings lining narrow streets.

At between 280 and 450 metres above sea-level, the vineyards occupy the best- exposed sides of valleys which run east-west at right angles to the axis of the Côte. The subsoil is dominated, especially in the south, by beds of marl. The slopes are steep in some places and frequently covered with limestone scree brought down from overhanging Bajocian formations higher up.

Vinification and maturing

The harvested Chardonnay grapes are carefuly sorted and then pressed. The vinification starts in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks and is followed by maturing in trank and in oak barrels for a part of the cuvée (40%) for around 8 months, including 15% new oak. Blending and light filtration before bottling.

Vintage : 2021

Nature certainly set a challenge for the winegrower and the winemaker with this vintage.

It began with very warm temperatures at the end of February which led to an early bud break.

The historic frost in April then destroyed young shoots that had emerged too early, significantly affecting the future harvest. Changing weather continued to characterize the vintage through to the harvests.

There were spells of rain from May to mid-August, obliging winegrowers to be constantly on the alert. The only periods of relative calm were during flowering, which took place in good conditions for the formation of the future fruit, and the véraison (colour change), which benefited from the return of the sun from mid-August.

The vagaries of the weather contributed to the development of outbreaks of disease, which were contained thanks to the tireless efforts of our winegrowers. In spite of this, considerable sacrifices had to be made to ensure a high level of quality, and rigorous sorting of the fruit in the vineyard and on arrival at the winery was necessary.

This vintage also required a major technical effort. The vinifications had to be carried out with meticulous attention and precision with a particular care over the extraction of colouring matter, the balance of the structure and the aromatic expression of the red wines, and of the freshness, balance of acidity and aromatic potential of the white wines.