Clos de la Roche Grand Cru (Red)

Origine

The last time this appellation area was modified by the National Institute of Certified Appellations dates back to 1971, bringing the land area to 16.9027 hectares split among 30 estates. The Lignier estate farms 1.05 hectares. The vine is cared for using methods that best suit the particular soil and varietal. The soil composition is a clayey limestone with a 30-cm surface cultivation layer lying on bedrock. Pruning follows the simple Guyot cane technique.

Vinification

The grapes are picked by hand and sorted on the domaine. The proportion of whole bunches used varies from 10 to 30% depending on the vintage.
Vinification:
- Cold pre-fermentation maceration for 3-5 days
- Followed by 4-5 days fermentation when the must is transformed into wine using indigenous yeasts
- 3-4 extra days are allowed to complete the extraction of the soluble matter (tannins, anthocyanins, etc.) and give it the time to incorporate into the wine.
%u200BAfter pressing, the new wine is transferred directly to 228-litre oak barrels (25% of which are new). Malolactic fermentation using indigenous bacteria then completes the fermentation process. The wine is aged for 18 months in oak barrels, during which two racking operations are carried out to remove the lees. We bottle the wine ourselves, unfiltered, on the domaine.

Notes de dégustation

A consistent red colour characterises this wine. The highly-fruity bouquet hints at walnut, violet and a firm body. The aromas are suggestive of damp wood and cherries. This grand cru is quite often the fullest of the wines produced from the Morey-Saint-Denis appellation area, which instils a more rustic attribute in the tannins and offers greater ageing potential.

Mets d'accompagnements

Game dishes marry extremely well with this prestigious wine. The maturation conditions guarantee a wine with excellent ageing capacity. 10 years after harvest are the minimum required for this Clos de la Roche Grand Cru to reveal its qualities. The very best vintages can easily remain in the cellar 25 years without any risk of having passed their prime, even though a thin layer of deposit will form over time.