Description
Bourgogne Pinot Noir comes from vineyards planted around Santenay, it is a well-structured, traditional Bourgogne with intense and juicy flavours of black cherries and red berries. The finish is firm but balanced; it is a real food wine that will go as happily with charcuteries as with steak or light game dishes. The 2018 vintage, despite all the difficulties, is a real delight and is marked by the fresh, vibrant aromatics and fruit of the year. A mouthful of ripe red fruits, quite high but well-balanced acidity and a silky, gluggable texture.
Historically, red wine from Maranges was known to be the darkest wine of the Côte d’Or, a tannic wine not made to drink immediately, and would keep its colour forever. As time goes by, more and more Chardonnay is planted here. Meanwhile, those still making red Burgundy here keep trying formulas to render it more accessible in its youth.
Like his father Jean-Claude and his other ancestors before him, Didier sticks to tradition and we celebrate that. He works old Pinot Noir vines mostly planted right after World War II (some before!) on the steep hillsides just to the east of Dézize. The vines are cordon trained, and planted in the middle saddle of the hillside in deep clay and fossilized limestone. His prized holdings are one hectare in a great premier cru site, “La Fussière,” and a small premier cru parcel just below called “Les Clos Roussots.” His formula is pretty simple: gorgeous, expertly managed vineyards, manual harvest, fermentation in concrete tank, long cuvaison, twelve months in oak, bottling without fining or filtration. The Regnaudots long ago understood what makes Maranges special and are dedicating to preserving that tradition, as unglamorous as it may be to some. Here, we raise our hats to Didier. Tradition means learned from experience, not the latest paraphernalia.
