Burgundy is one of the most famous and influential wine growing regions in the world. It is also very complicated. The many village names and vineyards that appear on the label can make even the most confident wine lover a little unsure when looking at a wine list. It is almost always expensive and only occasionally worth the price. When it is great however, Burgundy is unrivaled and it is for this reason that it is the “Mecca” for many Pinot Noir and Chardonnay lovers around the world.
The Pinot Noir grapes for Cuvee Saint Vincent are sourced from 45 year old vineyards planted around the villages of Volnay and Pommard in the Cote de Beaune. The Fruit was harvested by hand, with the grapes being sorted twice, firstly in the vineyard and then on sorting tables. (All the unripe grapes are discarded before fermentation begins).
Fermentation was instigated with natural yeasts and lasted 3 weeks. Maturation lasted for 14 months in a combination of Stainless Steel and Oak Barriques. Like a lot of wine growers in Burgundy, Vincent follows the procedures of biodynamic farming and the wines were bottled without fining or filtration, based on the timings of the lunar calendar. As discussed in earlier newsletters, these methods are a little unusual but this level of dedication and commitment to the quality of the wine can only be a good thing.
The wine has a lovely deep colour with dark cherry fruit aromas. It is quite soft with velvety flavours of raspberry, licorice and spices. It always punches above its weight and the 2009 vintage is better than ever.