Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru "Les Damodes" (Red)

Origine

The 0.28-hectare plot is located in the northernmost part of the Nuits St Georges vineyards, on the border with Vosne-Romanée. It sits on very sandy and gravelly soils, superficially covering the bedrock which breaks through to the surface in places. The vine's root system has to dig down through the cracks and crevices in the limestone blocks to find nourishment, so there is always a risk of wilting in dry years. Planted in 1952.

Vinification

The manual harvest requires 40 pickers and lasts about one week. The technique used calls for 100% destemming and pre-fermentation maceration at 10-12°C for 5-6 days in a concrete tank. The wine is vinified at 28-32°C for 18 to 21 days with one cap immersion per day to maintain suppleness. Following pneumatic pressing, the wines undergo static decantation for another 5-6 days in a holding vat before barreling (20% new barrels). The first racking takes place the following September and the second a month prior to bottling, usually in May of the next year. The wines are then drawn without preliminary clarification or filtration.

Notes de dégustation

The freshness and purity of the fruit are combined with a fine, soft and supple structure, not unlike Vosne-Romanée. Easy to drink when young, this wine has a surprising ability to assert its personality with age.

Mets d'accompagnements

Matches well with roasted meats, games, sauce meat and fine cheeses.