Domaine Royet Maranges 1er Cru 'Clos Roussot' 2018
Deep garnet color, fine woody nose with hints of candied cherries. The palate is balanced, gourmand, with a lot of class. Fine example of the new generation of Maranges. Aging potential: 5 to 10 years
The climate of "Clos Roussots" is located on the lower slopes of Mont de Sène, called "The Three Crosses" with a favorable South-East exposure. Brown limestone soils on lower Jurassic marl.
SITUATION: Plot located in the town of Cheilly-Lès-Maranges, part of the seven vineyards classified as Premier Cru. This enclosure extends over more than 25 hectares.
IN THE VINEYARD: Plot pruned in Cordon de Royat, mastery of pruning yields. Manual pruning and leaf stripping. Vineyard area: 1 ha - Average age of the vines: 55 years
VINIFICATION & AGING: Harvest in crates, sorting table, 100% destemmed, fermentation in stainless steel vats, pumping over only. Yeasting and control of vinification temperatures. Control of the maceration temperature with a controlled rise to allow fermentation. Aging in oak barrels, 50% in new barrels and 50% in one year old barrels with a range of toasting grades. Aging 12 to 14 months.
DOMAINE ROYET
In Burgundy, the Côtes du Couchois is at a crossroads. Both literally and figuratively.
Closing the geological fault that runs from Dijon to the southwest, this islet of vines west of the Côte Chalonnaise but in the extension of the Côte d´Or should be attached to the soils of "great Burgundy". But its location in Saône-et-Loire has led the appellation to fall back to the Côte Chalonnaise.
The region is undiscovered, all but unknown in the US. But it can be a source of excellent wine from excellent producers. And as always Elden Selections is there to prospect for the best.
Allow us to introduce the Domaine Royet. Located in the heart of the Côtes du Couchois, this family estate extends over 14 hectares (nearly 34 acres). The vines are planted on steep slopes at the foot of the Château of Couches. Combining tradition and modernity, the Domaine Royet produces wines that express the unique subsoils of this corner of Burgundy.
Vincent Royet today works with his father, Jean-Claude, being the third and fourth generations to exploit the domain. They have planted Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Aligote, and produce wines in the regional appellation Bourgogne, the sub-region Cotes de Couchois, as well as premier cru Maranges. They are also producers of an excellent in-house Crémant de Bourgogne.
BURGUNDY 2018 VINTAGE
There has been talk over the past year of the 2018 vintage in Burgundy being one of the greatest of all time. Comparisons with the mythical 1947, and all that. But let’s be careful and take a closer look.
We’ve tasted some marvelous wines, both white and red, and from all of the appellation levels. Purity and concentration would be the key words across the board.
But lest we forget, 2018 was the hottest vintage in Burgundy since 2003. And frankly, we were expecting wines like we got in 2003: flabby whites and Cote du Rhone-like reds. But that did not happen. And the secret to understanding 2018 Burgundy lies in understanding the difference between these two very hot years.
If you look at 2018 from start to finish, not only was it hot, it was dry: 50% less precipitation than the annual average over the past 30 years. However, if you were here in the early part of the year, you’ll certainly remember the rain.
After a very dry summer in 2017, winter 2017-18 was wet. It rained nearly every day through March and into April. And the vine was slow to bud.
That all changed in the middle of April. Wet soil and higher temperatures brought on explosive growth in the vineyards that the vignerons had a tough time keeping up with. In a week we went from bud burst to unfurled leaves.
The first flowers burst in mid-May. The crop set regularly with very little disruption, and summer settled in. The early wet conditions followed by April’s warmth saw the onset of mildew, but the fungus never stood a chance.
It was a hot and sunny summer. Some would say it was a heat wave and a drought. And we started to see signs of stress in vineyards in certain sectors. Things were better where there was a little rain. But August was bone dry. In fact, there was no rain from June 15th to the end of October.
It was about this time that comparisons to 2015 cropped up. You could see ripeness rapidly approaching, and there was talk of harvest starting at the end of August.
The vines were incredibly healthy; no moisture means no threat from mildew or odium. No rot. Good ripeness.
And, for the first time since 2009….a normal yield! So, let the harvest begin!
And it did, in the last days of August. What was most astonishing right from the start was that the perceived acidity levels seem OK. Granted, there’s no malic acid, but the levels of tartaric acid seem to be compensating, and there is an over-all impression of balance.
Also amazing was the amount of juice the crop produced. Not only was the yield bigger than the past 10 years’ average, but the amount of juice set a record for Burgundy. So there will be a lot of 2018 around.
And all this in a year that felt more like the south of Spain than Burgundy as we know it. The only thing we can attribute the quality of 2018 to is the abundant winter rains, and the vine’s ability to go searching for water when it needs it.
MARANGES
COTE DE BEAUNE
The Maranges area, which grows mainly Pinot Noir plus some Chardonnay, forms a link between the Côte-d’Or and the Saône-et-Loire. Its vineyards are interlocked with those of neighbouring Santenay, with which it shares some well-thought-of Premiers Crus. Maranges was granted its own AOC Village in 1988 covering the three villages of Cheilly-lès-Maranges, Dezize-lès-Maranges and Sampigny-lès-Maranges. The surrounding countryside has a character of its own - gentle and warm-hearted - which has been lovingly described by the Burgundian writer Henri Vincenot. The charmingly old-fashioned homes of the winemakers provide perfect subjects for a painter’s brush.
Wine
Red
Maranges reds are a brilliant raspberry red. Its fruit notes are blackcurrant and spicy. The wines are warm juicy, with a tannic structure that has become delicate and subtle, as producers have learned to produce softer tannins. Licorice and pepper are the foundations that this otherwise fruity Pinot are based upon. Generally for early drinking, but with a good acidic balance to keep them fresh for years.
White
As with nearly every village in this zone, the plantation of Chardonnay is on the rise. These whites are gold and full of white floral notes prevalent in the zone. Flinty minerality adds depth and length. These are wines that are rounded and subtle with many of the refined aspects of their more famous neighbors.
Terroirs
Though the hill-slopes are differently oriented to those of the Côte de Beaune, their nature and origins are geologically the same, making up a varied patchwork of hills and valleys. The vineyards mostly have a South/South-westerly exposure and lie at altitudes of 240-400 metres. Cheilly, in the valley of the Cozanne, has rather light pebbly soils. Sampigny and Dezize share the Climats which lie to the South of Santenay on brown limestone soils and limey marls.
Color
Reds - Pinot Noir
Whites - Chardonnay
Production surface area
1 hectare (ha) = 2.4 acres
Reds : 156.5 ha (including 79 ha premier cru)
Whites : 10.6 ha (including 4.5 ha premier cru)
Food
The reds of Maranges can be velvety but quite firm, with tannins that need roasted meats with a crunchiness: roast fowl (dark or white meat), roast lamb, or rabbit. These wines also go well with country pâtés. For cheese, go for creaminess Brillat-Savarin, Brie or Reblochon.
Appellations
On the label, the appellations 'Maranges’' and 'Maranges 1er Cru' may be followed by the name of a specific vineyard, known as a climat.
The following climats are classified as premier cru:
Clos de la Boutière
Clos de la Fussière
La Fussière
Le Clos des Loyères
Le Clos des Rois
Le Croix Moines
Les Clos Roussots
The following climats are village wines from a single vineyard, known as a lieu-dit:
A la Croix de Bois
Au Chêne
Aux Artaux
Borgy
En Buliet
En Crevèche
La Tête de Fer
Le Bas des Loyères
Le Bas du Clos
Le Bourg
Le Chamery
Le Clos
Le Goty
Le Plain
Le Saugeot
Les Aubuzes
Les Meurées
Les Plantes
Les Regains Nord
Les Regains Sud
Les Varennes
Sous les Roseaux
Sur la Rigole
Sur la Rue des Pierres
Sur la Verpillère
Sur le Bois Nord
Sur le Bois Sud
Sur le Chêne
Vigne Blanche