Ruchottes-Chambertin AOC Grand Cru 2021, Domaine Marchand-Grillot
In the hands of Jacques Marchand of Domaine Marchand-Grillot and family, the Pinot Noir grape takes on an elegance that puts it firmly among some of the best of the appellation. He's at the top of his game with this 2021 vintage that is just packed with his signature complexity and style. Buy now and drink or keep for 10-15 years.
In the glass
Brilliant ruby red with a heavily perfumed violet and strawberry nose. This is a racy wine, full of complexity, exceptional structure and finesse and packed with a gamut of bright fruit flavours with gooseberry, strawberry and blackberry at the fore. Liquorice undertones and a voluptous texture with sweet spice notes blend into a bottle that you never want to end.
Jacques Marchand, his daughter Marion and son Etienne are fifth and sixth generation winemakers in the heart of the Cote de Nuits in Burgundy. Grapes are from 58 year old vines and no chemicals are used in the traditional viticulture practised by the family. The grapes are grown on 40-year-old vines with very restricted yields. He takes a hands off approach - leaving the bunches intact and zero sulphur dioxide during fermentation. The grapes are left to soak at 8°C for 6 days before wild yeast is allowed to develop and ferment the wine. Twenty days in wooden vats at 30°C with regular punching down and running over the juice. Finally the wine spends 18 months aged in a single 285 barrel made from Troncais oak before bottling.
About the vineyard
Six generations of the same family have worked these spectacular vines in the heart of Burgundy's prestigious Cote de Nuit. Sister and brother, Marion and Etienne Marchand currently ensure the vineyard's future with a focus on sustainability, attention to detail and fine wines of exceptional quality.
