RULLY PREMIER CRU
GRESIGNY 2020

Grape Variety

100% Chardonnay.

Tasting notes

Colour: elegant golden yellow.
Nose: showing citrus fruits and exotic fruits flavours such as pineapple, pleasantly carried by an elegant wood.
Palate: the attack is mineral on exotic aromas (pineapple again). A wine that is both ample and lively with a tension specific from the terroir expression. The finish is long with a nice persistence on citrus aromas.

Food and wine pairing

Will be perfect paired with cold meats, fine fish and seafood, but also hot starters, white meat in sauce and dry goat cheeses.

Serving suggestions

Serve ideally between 12° and 14°C / 54° and 57°F.

Ageing potential

5 years in average.

Origin

Rully is a communal appellation of the Côte Chalonnaise, south of Burgundy.

The appellation Rully is a communal appellation of the Côte Chalonnaise with 23 climates classified in 1er crus (30% of the parcel). 246 Ha are dedicated to white wines (with 69 Ha for the Premiers Crus) and 121 Ha are in red (28 Ha for the Premiers Crus).

Terroir

- Vineyard area: 0,7 Ha (1.73 acres).
- Vines age: around 27 years.
- Soil: Very calcareous brown and stony.

Vinification and maturing

The Gresigny Premier Cru plot was harvested on September 2020, the 4th.

The Chardonnay grapes were sorted carefully at their arrival in the winery before being pressed in a pneumatic press to squeeze out their juice.

This juice was left to settle at cold temperatures between 16 and 24 hours maximum in order to remove impurities. The alcoholic  fermentation took place in vats to allow for a better control of temperatures, key element in our search for pure color and bright aromas. Then, just before the fermentation ended, the wine was put into oak barrels (including 20% new barrels) on fine lees for 9 months, with occasional stirring (about twice a month) until the malolactic fermentation, in order to develop both complex aromas and preserve the purity of the fruit, and also to protect the wine (from oxidation and reduction).

Vintage : 2020

"Never in my entire wine career have I seen such variations in the grapes than in the 2020 harvests" said our winemaker Anne-Laure Hernette.

It was an early vintage, with another very mild winter and therefore an early start to the growth cycle.

A rainy, cool May did not slow the vines down, and temperatures quickly rose again. The summer was one of the hottest we have experienced.

The vines reacted in very different ways depending on the sector and it was necessary to monitor the grapes’ phenolic maturity right up to the harvests, since in some cases the berries suffered significant water stress, resulting in delays in ripening and lower yields.

On the whole, the vines in Rully, Mercurey and Maranges held up well because several of our terroirs benefit from subterranean water sources which partially alleviated the stress.

But the fact remains that the expression of aromatic, phenolic and technological maturity was very different from previous years and the evolution of each parameter had to be closely monitored. Once again, the choice of harvest date was decisive in ensuring the quality of the future wines. Especially since there were sometimes significant differences in ripeness within the same plot.

Harvesting began on 24 August and ended on 16 September. Some sectors required patience: it was important not to harvest too quickly. The grapes were in an excellent state of health, but thorough sorting was necessary to separate berries that were still pink and yet side by side with ripe grapes.

Ultimately, yields were particularly reduced for the reds.

The character of the 2020 vintage will gradually be revealed as it undergoes barrel-ageing, but we can already appreciate it for its balance, promising colours, concentration and generous aromatic expression.