Type
Red Wine
Domaine Borgeot Santenay 'Vieilles Vignes' 2021
Appellation
Santenay
Region
Côte de Beaune
Vintage
2021
In Stock
Overview
Year in, year out, this Borgeot Santenay 'Vieilles Vignes' (which translates as ‘Old Vines’ is one of our favorites. This term holds no official age requirement however in this case the vines were actually planted by Pascals grandfather!! We've been drinking this wine consistently since we first met Pascal Borgeot back in 1989. The first Borgeot wine we tasted was his Santenay VV in the 1985 vintage. It was beautiful even in its youth, and we drank it lustily. Have done ever since. Pascal surprised us a few years back with a secret stash of the 1985, and we re-lived our youth in a glass. This is our image of Pinot Noir from the Cotes de Beaune. It ranks as one of the best deals in Red Burgundy on this site...which explains why it is always among the first to sell out.
Winemaker
The Borgeot brothers, Pascal and Laurent, have great 'touch' with Chardonnay, producing classy and distinctive regional, village and 1er cru wines in Burgundy's 'golden triangle' of Puligny-Montrachet, Cassagne-Montrachet and Meursault. In the nearby village of Bouzeron they produce quality Aligoté, which you will find along with Pinot Noir in their Crémant de Bourgogne. But it would be a mistake to focus only on their white wines, Santenay AOC is home turf, with the winery based in Remigny. In Santenay they produce single vineyard village and 1er Cru. They have also strongly defended their Pinot Noir vines in Chassagne-Montrachet again with impressive village and 1er cru selections.
Vintage
BURGUNDY 2021 VINTAGE
Nothing abides. Just as we Burgundy purists begrudgingly acknowledged the vitality and variety of the three previous hot-weather vintages, along came 2021, classic Burgundy with its frost, damp and low yields. Way back when, in pre-climate-change conditions, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay would struggle, year after year, to come to maturity in what was this, the northernmost spot in Europe where grapes could ripen enough to make still wine.
That struggle was, in fact, the very definition of viticulture in Burgundy (capitalization notwithstanding). But then weather patterns started to change, not drastically, but gradually: milder winters and earlier springs; hotter summers and earlier autumns. By the time we got to 2018, then 2019 and then 2020, those mild winters were breeding grounds for mildew, the early springs were prone to killer frosts, those hot summers forced ripeness onto reticent grapes varieties, and early autumns left little time to the winemaker to sort it all out. If this all sounds like an accident waiting to happen, hang on to your hat; it’s all perspective.
2018 was wet, wet, wet through winter and up to mid-April. Then an explosive bud-burst sent the winemakers scurrying to control the vegetation. But then it got hot, hot, south-of-Spain hot, and mildew never stood a chance. Early harvest, no health issues. Big crop. Great vintage.
2019 was wet through the winter. Early bud burst, then frost took part of the crop. A warm set up flowering, but cold weather set in, taking another part of the crop. Then it got hot and very dry. Well-tend vines and, especially, old vines did well because there was last winter’s water in the water table, and good vines can go deep for water. Hot, healthy harvest. Great, really ripe vintage.
2020 was precocious. Mild wet winter. Bud burst in mid-April. From that point on, there is not much to report weatherwise. It was hot and dry from June through to the end. Harvest started in August. Indeed, there was more stress on the winemakers than there was on the vines. When to pick? Overall, great vintage both white and red. See a pattern?
And 2021… well in 2021 things returned to ‘normal’ (if such a thing is possible in Burgundy!) First came devastating frosts in the early part of April, which were followed by a cool May, leading to a damp summer with the ever-present threat of hail. Chardonnay was more affected than Pinot Noir in that the red grapes came into leaf later. What all this means for the Burgundy harvest is that it will be a story of low yields (miniscule in places) and a late harvest.
When the older winemakers talk about what to expect this year, words such as ‘historic’ are used and comparisons are drawn with the harvest of 1970. Some say we could be down 30% on 2020’s already low yields. But it isn’t all bad news. Winemakers are nothing if not hardy, and their optimism cannot be shaken that easily. Fewer grapes on the vine means that those which have survived should have an intensity of flavor which sets them apart and may mark this harvest out as extraordinary. There may be other upsides, too: because the harvest is later, the grapes have had more ‘hang time’ which could mean good phenolic maturity.
Appellation
SANTENAY COTE DE BEAUNE
Santenay lies at the southern extremity of the Côte de Beaune. In days gone by it was a well-known spa town. Today there is still water around: the area is bordered by the Canal du Centre, and on the other side of the water is the department of Saone et Loire and the first vines of the Cote Chalonnaise'. The wines of Santenay and neighboring Remigny present discernible differences according to which part of the appellation they come from. If you use the windmill up the slope in premier cru Beauregard as a point of reference, the hills behind rise sharply, and the soil make-up and expositions become complex as the hillside spreads out. Seen from up there, the village of Santenay sits in a valley with hills rising on both sides.
Produced in the communes of Santenay and Remigny, appellation Santenay includes 12 premiers crus.
Wines
Santenay produces mainly red wine, though the whites, especially the premiers crus, can be remarkable. Color should be a dark brilliant black-cherry. The bouquet is floral up front, with red fruits and a hint of liquorice. The attack is deep and intense, with firm but discreet tannins and body that is supple and fine-textured. Old style Santenay was considered rustic, but the present generation has learned to deal with tannins.
White Santenay should be brilliant green tinted gold, mineral and floral and fresh. It can be grassy and nutty, and has a minerality that carries freshness to a long finish.
Terroirs
Greyish limestone makes up the high ground up to a height of 500 meters. Lower down the slope, starting at the 300 meter line, is oolitic limestone, white oolite, marls, kidney-shaped limestone, and lower oolite on a layer of marl. The location of the vineyards is ideal with exposures between east and south.
Color
Nearly all reds - Pinot Noir
White wines - Chardonnay
Production surface area 1 hectare (ha) = 2.4 acres
Reds: 282.35 ha (including 110.84 ha premier cru)
Whites: 46.96 ha (including 12.63 ha premier cru)
Food
The supple and intense attack of Santenay red, and its aromatic register make it a match for slow-cooked dishes like braised veal or beef, to which its tannins will lend structure without being aggressive. Glazed or roasted poultry would also work, as would grilled or barbecued meats. As for cheese, Brie de Meaux, Pont-l'Evêque, Cîteaux, Reblochon, most any cheese really will work with the density and tannic structure.
White Santenay, with its lightness, vivacity and edge would be a good choice for fluid and melty dishes like fish couscous, or pasta or risotto with mushrooms. Poultry in cream sauce would be similarly successful. It works well with cheeses like Comté and Beaufort, as well as goat cheeses.
Appellations
On the label, the appellations 'Santenay' and 'Santenay 1er Cru' may be followed by the name of a specific vineyard, known as a climat. The following climats are classified as premier cru: Beauregard Beaurepaire Clos de Tavannes Clos des Mouches Clos Faubard Clos Rousseau Grand Clos Rousseau La Comme La Maladière Les Gravières Les Gravières-Clos de Tavannes Passetemps
The following climats are village wines from a single vineyard, known as a lieu-dit: Bellefon Bieveaux Botaveau Clos Genet Comme Dessus Croix Sorine Derrière les Crais En Aiguisey En Boichot En Charron En Foulot En Gatsulard La Cassière La Comme La Plice Le Chainey Le Haut Village Le Village Les Brâs Les Champs Claudes Les Charmes Dessous Les Charmes Dessus Les Cornières Les Crais Les Hâtes Les Pérolles Les Potets Les Prarons-Dessous Les Prarons-Dessus Les Saunières Les Vaux Dessus Saint-Jean Sous la Fée Sous la Roche
