Maranges 1er Cru Joseph Drouhin

Grape Variety : Pinot Noir.

Vineyard
Site: on a slope with good south exposure, Maranges is located at the very end of the Côte de Beaune, near Santenay, Rully and Mercurey.
History & tradition: Pinot Noir has been planted here for quite a long time, but the appellation Maranges Premier Cru is recent. It is in fact a Premier Cru vineyard covering three villages, Cheilly, Dezize and Champigny.
Soil: clay and limestone.

Viticulture
Plantation density: 10,000 vinestocks/ha in order to extract as much as possible from the terroir and limit the production of each vine stock.
Pruning: Guyot.
Yield: 47 hl/ha - low on purpose, in order for the grapes to reveal every nuance of the terroir.
Grape Supply: grapes and wines are purchased from regular supply partners (long-term contracts).

Vinification
Maceration:
maceration and vinification take 2 to 3 weeks
indigenous yeasts
maceration and fermentation temperatures under total control.
Joseph Drouhin seeks total control of the process of extraction; extraction gives colour and substance but should never be detrimental to the finesse and typical character of the wine.
"Pigeage" (punching down of the cap during fermentation): once a day until half of fermentation is done; one pumping over ("remontage") per day till the end of the fermentation.
Pressing: vertical press; separation of free run juice from pressed juice.

Ageing
Type: in barrels (10% in new oak).
Length: 12 to 15 months.
Origin of the wood: French oak forests.
Weathering of the wood: Joseph Drouhin insists on total control of the weathering for a period of 3 years, one of the contributing elements to the elegance of the wine.
Follow-up: barrel by barrel.

Tasting note by Véronique Boss-Drouhin "An elegant wine with a character all of its own! Bright, vivid, red colour. Intense and fruity nose where notes of wet undergrowth and wild nature can be detected. Fleshy and well structured on the palate. A little chunky in its youth, it becomes rounder and delicious to drink as it gets older. Very flavourful aftertaste".

Serving Temperature : 16°C (61-62°F).

Cellaring: 4 to 12 years.