Nuits-Saint-Georges 'Terrasses' Machard de Gramont 2019

"Les Terrasses" is the flagship wine of Domaine Machard de Gramont: in fact, it accounts for two-thirds of the winery's production. The 2 hectares of Pinot Noir grapes are located along the escarpment that directly overlooks Les Vaucrains, one of the iconic parcels of Nuits-Saint-Georges, and have been neglected since the phylloxera crisis until the early 2000s. Bertrand and his daughter Axelle, the protagonist of the conversion to organic farming of the entire family holdings certified in 2014, terraced the entire slope and re-planted the vines.

"Les Terrasses des Vallerots" is a vineyard with such a pronounced slope that there the grapes ripen even with a two-week difference period, between the lower part and the top of the slope, positioned at more than 300 meters above sea level. The parcel is terraced on twelve levels, unique in Côte d'Or, and is stunningly beautiful. The icy winds that burst through the rows coming from the Combe des Vallerots are mitigated by the refraction of light and warmth by the off-white stones with which the vineyard is strewn. The vines are clinging directly to the mother rock that emerges with virtually no layer of soil, making any kind of treatment extremely difficoult. Cellar operations follow traditional centuries-old Burgundian rules: manual harvesting when ripe, soft pressing of the bunches and spontaneous fermentation in oak barrels by indigenous yeasts. Aging takes place in French oak pièces, part new and part second- and third-passage, for a period of 12 months. Filtrations are mild and wine handling is by gravity.

Domaine Machard de Gramont offers an impeccable interpretation of terroir with its "Les Terrasses." The area is among the coldest and most rugged in the entire Côte d'Or, but the resulting wine possesses an innate yet surprising elegance. The color is light, the bouquet is characterized by floral and citrus notes, and the taste is delighted by persistent saline notes and firm tannins: a light weight of extreme finesse, showing remarkable class in warmer vintages. Game and venison are exemplary pairings.