Pre Arrival Domaine Albert Morot Beaune 1er Cru "Les Cent Vignes" 2015

90-92 BH

Notes:

A ripe yet appealing fresh nose displays notes of black cherry liqueur, plum, violet and warm earth. The sleeker and more refined but not more concentrated flavors possess slightly better verve on the lightly mineral-inflected finish. I like the underlying tension though this needs to develop a bit more depth to merit the upper end of my projected range. Burghound 90-92

Producer: Domaine Albert Morot is a historic Beaune estate whose origins lie in a négociant business founded in 1820. During the phylloxera crisis in the late 19th century, Albert Morot began acquiring vineyards, assembling six parcels in important Beaune Premier Cru climats along with the monopole La Bataillère aux Vergelesses in Savigny-lès-Beaune. By the 2015 vintage, the domaine was being run by Geoffroy Choppin de Janvry, Albert Morot’s great-grandnephew, who had taken charge in 2000 and progressively moved the vineyards toward organic farming. 2015 was the domaine’s first vintage officially certified organic, making this bottle significant within the estate’s history. At the time, Morot farmed roughly eight hectares, with its holdings concentrated overwhelmingly in Premier Cru vineyards. Today the domaine remains particularly associated with the Premier Crus of Beaune.
Vineyard: Les Cent-Vignes lies at the lower part of the Beaune slope at approximately 220 meters, with a southeasterly exposure. Albert Morot owns 1.27 hectares here. The domaine describes the soils as a combination of limestone, silt and clay, and its current technical information gives an average vine age of approximately 70 years; the estate's parcel information also records plantings beginning in 1958. The climat has an interesting history beyond wine: fragments of pottery discovered on the site indicate the presence of an agricultural farm during the Gallo-Roman period. The land was later left uncultivated for an extended period before being replanted to vines. For 2015, Morot reports a hot, dry summer that produced small, tightly packed bunches; harvest began on September 3, with an estate-wide average yield of only 29 hl/ha.
Winemaking: The 2015 is particularly well documented because Stephen Tanzer visited the domaine while the wines were still in barrel. Choppin de Janvry harvested between September 2 and 7, generally at around 13% potential alcohol. A new destemmer introduced for 2015 allowed him to preserve a higher proportion of intact, uncrushed berries. Fermentation temperatures were kept below 29°C, and extraction was deliberately reduced compared with previous vintages: the domaine began with approximately one pigeage per day before switching to remontage after the first several days. Fermentation was carried out with indigenous yeasts. The wines remained in their original barrels without racking while completing a slow malolactic fermentation in Morot’s notably deep, cool cellar. Contemporary information for this specific 2015 Cent-Vignes records approximately 14 months of barrel élevage; the wine was bottled without filtration, consistent with the domaine’s traditional approach.
Technical Details: Beaune Premier Cru AOC; Les Cent-Vignes climat; 2015 vintage; 100% Pinot Noir; 1.27-hectare domaine parcel; lower-slope position at approximately 220 meters; southeast exposure; limestone, silt and clay soils; older plantings dating to 1958; certified organic beginning with the 2015 vintage; hand harvested; harvest began September 3; estate-wide 2015 yield approximately 29 hl/ha; indigenous-yeast fermentation; controlled fermentation temperature below 29°C; reduced extraction using pigeage followed by remontage; barrel aged approximately 14 months; bottled without filtration. Guide Hachette records production of approximately 4,000 bottles of the 2015 Cent-Vignes.
Food Pairing: Pork tenderloin, rabbit with Dijon mustard, roast chicken, guinea fowl, duck breast, veal, mushroom-based dishes, Brie de Meaux, Cîteaux and Brillat-Savarin. The domaine specifically recommends pork tenderloin, rabbit with mustard, roasted poultry or guinea fowl, and soft cheeses including Brie de Meaux and Brillat-Savarin. These pairings suit a mature Beaune Premier Cru particularly well because Pinot Noir's acidity and tannin can handle richer poultry and pork while remaining delicate enough for earthy preparations and soft-ripened cheeses.

Vins Rare

Domaine Albert Morot Beaune 1er Cru "Les Cent Vignes" 2015

Name: Domaine Albert Morot Beaune 1er Cru "Les Cent Vignes" 2015
Brand: Vins Rare
SKU: 4921
Price: 72.00 USD
Availability: InStock