Production
One of a handful of producers in the Cote d'Or who continue to use ultra-traditional winemaking techniques. Grapes are selected from vines of a minimum 15 years of age; whole bunches (which are not de-stemmed) are fermented in open top wooden vats using only natural yeasts and no temperature control; the grapes are left on their skins for 3 weeks days and the cap is trodden down by the oldest method - by foot! All this extracts as much colour, tannins and fruit as possible but in relation to ripeness and quality of the appellation. The wine is then put into French oak barrels where it matures for a minimum of two years with racking off two or three times a year (to gently remove natural deposits). They don't have a fancy bottling line here - usually a pipe is inserted into each barrel which is joined to four taps, and the wine flows by gravity straight from barrel into the bottles without any filtration and just a candle to check that it's clear!
Tasting notes
Classic Pinot with aromas of red berries, spices and a hint of vanilla. The palate is just as fruity with refreshing sour cherries, delicious red berries, crisp acidity and supple tannins. Drink now or keep for 5-8 years to see exactly what these wines can achieve with age.
Food match
Ideal with Boeuf Bourguignon (all the better if made with Charolais beef, a breed associated with Burgundy), game dishes - at the White Hart in Lydgate they match it with roast loin of venison and a juniper dressing - or cheese.
