The Wines

1 – Meteorological data and development of the vegetative cycle

A mild winter with very little rainfall, December was particularly hot, and the water table remained low throughout the winter. January ended with a water deficit of almost 70 mm.

February was the 13th month in a row with above-normal temperatures, and the winter was 2°C warmer overall. Given these weather conditions, we fear that the latent roots and buds will resume activity early.

The excess rainfall at the end of March and very cool temperatures in April slowed budburst, and 2023 was 8 days later than 2022, with only one leaf spread by mid-April. Vegetation was too underdeveloped to fear frosts, and 2023, like 2013 and 2016, was one of the latest vintages in recent years.

At the beginning of May, the sun shines, and the heat sets in. In just a few days, 5 to 6 leaves were unfurled, leaf volume increased, and the shoots grew rapidly. Many bunches were emerging, looking large, full, and elongated.

We ask our winegrowers to carry out rigorous de-budding to balance the harvest on each vine.

In mid-May, the days are cool, with little light and rain in the form of thunderstorms. June brought plenty of sunshine and high temperatures. Growth was rapid, and disbudding had barely been completed before we had to start lifting the vines in our Meursault Perrières and Pommard Clos des Epenots.

On the Côte de Beaune, the first flowers were visible from 2-3 June in the Chardonnay plots and from 7-8 June in the Pinot Noir plots. 2023 is gradually becoming the early vintage of the start of the season. In June, a series of rainstorms increased the pressure on the health of the vines. Diseases (powdery mildew and downy mildew) were present throughout the summer, so we had to remain very vigilant and monitor our plots closely, as the contact products we used were quickly washed away by the stormy rain.

The heavy rains of 19-20 June put the finishing touches to berry enlargement. The bunch closure stage was reached around 20-25 June, thanks to the excess of sunshine: +37 hours in May and 82 hours in June. The weather was hot and in just 6 weeks, the vines had gone from 6 spreading leaves to bunch closure!

The first ten days of July were marked by a heat spike when temperatures exceeded 36°C. A few traces of scald appeared on the Pinot Noir, but the damage remained limited. By 25 July, despite a lot of rain and thunderstorms, the vines were suffering, certainly due to too heavy a load of grapes on some vines. We decided to carry out green harvesting on 15 hectares of red Premiers Crus and Grands Crus to regulate the load and obtain a ripe, well-balanced harvest.

The first Pinot Noir grapes turn red around 5 August. But it was from 12 August, with warmer temperatures, that veraison accelerated. The health of our vines is good, and the foliage allows the grapes to ripen in good conditions. However, 2023 was characterized by major differences in ripeness between plots.

2 – Harvesting, Vinification and Ageing

To get the full picture of the 2023 vintage, we began taking maturity samples on 23 August from our 73 plots, at a rate of 2 analyses per week, to determine the optimum harvest date for each plot. The ripeness of the 2023 grapes is heterogeneous and each sector requires detailed analysis. Fortunately, at the end of August/beginning of September, the weather conditions were excellent, with plenty of light: everything was in place to achieve perfect phenolic ripeness!

On the estate’s 67 hectares, harvesting began under sunny skies on 6 September in our plots of Meursault Perrières and Clos des Grands Charrons. They ended on 19 September in our Savigny red plots.

We sorted our red grapes by hand and then optically to select the healthiest, ripest grapes and put them into vats. After a 5-day pre-fermentation cold maceration, the alcoholic fermentation was gentle and regular, with little punching down but pumping over to gently extract the highest-quality tannins. After vatting for almost 20 days, the wines were placed in oak barrels to mature on their lees.

For the Chardonnay, after hand-sorting, pressing, and settling, alcoholic fermentation took place in barrel for 10 to 15 days, depending on the terroir. Aged on the lees, the lees stirring is decided on a case-by-case basis, as each cuvée is unique.

3 – Tasting

The wines are well-balanced, with good volume and a fine expression of fruit in both colours. The tannins in the reds are silky, with a good concentration of fruit. The whites are expressive, fresh, and aromatic.

This 2023 vintage will delight the palate in its youth and reach its peak in 4 to 5 years.