Santenay
Appellation VillageSantenay
Grape Variety :
Pinot Noir.
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Vineyard
Site: Santenay is a charming village, at the southern end of the Côte de Beaune, below the Mont de Sène. History & tradition: this ancient village was already famous in Roman times for its hot springs named "Santinae Aquae" (health-giving waters). Soil: clay and limestone.
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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 - purposely low, in order for the grapes to reveal every nuance of the terroir. Grape Supply: grapes and wines provided by regular supply partners (long-term contracts).
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Vinification
Maceration: 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.
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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. Throughout the ageing process, decisions are taken only after careful tasting evaluation, barrel by barrel. The data obtained is then completed through technical analysis. As with every other Joseph Drouhin wine, absolute priority is given to the true expression of terroir and character of the vintage.
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Tasting note by Véronique Boss-Drouhin
"A real "terroir" wine. A deep ruby color and an intense nose of wild fruit : blackberry, blueberry, cranberry. Often tannic in its youth. Long and persistent on the palate, with flavours reminiscent of grenadine syrup or pomegranate".
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Vintage
Pure delight in all the appellations. The colour is ruby red, very intense but less so than in 2003. The aromas, well marked when the wines were young, are more reserved now, on classic notes of little red berries. Both Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits have a consistent structure, based on good balance between acidity, alcohol and tannin. It is this balance that gives the wines such elegance. The tannins are ripe and refined. They harmonize nicely with a refreshing acidity devoid of astringency and a normal level of alcohol. The exquisite fruit found in the range of lesser villages in Burgundy, such as Chorey-les-Beaune, will charm wine lovers everywhere. The Premier and Grand Crus have been somewhat closed these last few months. Their structure tends to dominate the bouquet and aromas. It would be unfortunate to drink these wines now. The ageing potential of the Grand Crus is certainly several decades, although it will be possible to enjoy them earlier. In summary, 2005 has a lot in common with some great vintages of the past: the beautiful richness of 1990, the harmonious character of 1989 and the haunting bouquet of 1961.
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Serving
Temperature: 16°C (61-62°F). Cellaring: 8 to 15 years.
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