Domaine Borgeot Santenay 1er Cru 'Gravieres' 2022
Santenay 1er Cru 'Les Gravieres' can be either red or white. 'Gravieres' implies gravel, loose stony soil. And the upper part of the vineyard is such. This is excellent soil for Chardonnay, with one of the best expositions in the southern Cote d'Or. Distinctive 'Borgeot' style, mineral driven, with both ripe citrus and slight stone fruit profile, there is a smokey quality that leads into hazelnut and honey. The rocky terroir is evident in the long clean finish. Great value Premier Cru White.
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.
BURGUNDY 2022 VINTAGE
After three successive high-quality but low-quantity vintages, winemakers in Burgundy are refilling their cellars with an excellent 2022 harvest.This is not to say that it was an easy ride. Once again, frost, heat and drought put stress on the growing season, but timing is everything, and the extreme weather did much less damage than in previous years.
Winters have been wet and mild for years now. The winter of 2021-22 was not, with less than average rainfall and seasonal temperatures. Under these ‘normal’ conditions, we would expect budburst in the first half of April. But summer-like conditions at the end of March forced the vines, especially Chardonnay, to bud early, and we went into frost season with tender green buds exposed. There were two nights in the coming week below zero, but damage was limited.
Spring conditions set in in mid-April, but Summer followed soon thereafter, dry with spiky heat waves. The vines went wild. Winemakers fought to keep the growth under control. And the fight continued until flowering, which happened a couple of weeks early in mid-May.
The warm, dry conditions led to nearly-perfect flowering. We saw for the first time the potential of a great crop, with lots of beautiful, full, well-formed grape bunches; and an early harvest, with fruit setting well ahead of schedule.
But the drought held, and the fear was that this beautiful fruit would shrivel on the vine. Finally, at the end of June, the rain came. Summer storms bring with them the risk of hail, so all eyes were on the sky as the storms were sometimes violent causing significant but limited hail damage. The rains were intermittent, but regular for the next weeks. The cumulative rainfall would not be enough to see the crop through to harvest, however.
The heat waves continued through the rains, and so the risk of fungal disease, usually associated with wet conditions, dried up. But temperatures spiked and dry conditions set in again. The grapes ripened in a full-blown heat wave. Winemakers had to keep a close eye on sugar levels, as the risk was that ripeness could gallop away at the last minute.
And then, just about the time when it looked like an over-ripe mid-August harvest was imminent, it rained again. And the producers were able to let that water absorb into the fruit, increasing the volume of juice that was ultimately harvested in the first week of September.
2022, both white and red, are showing real depth and ripeness. And while there was once again very little malic acid, the tartaric acid holds the balance and structure together. Early tastings in the barrel show enormous charm and vitality. Very promising.
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