Country:France  Region: Burgundy  Vintage: 2017 Varietal: Pinot Noir and Gamay  Category: Red Wine  Color:  Red Producer: Château de Santenay "This magnificent property, which dates back to the 9th century, is also known as Château Philippe le Hardi, as it was once owned by the first Duc of Burgundy. Philippe le Hardi, who was made the Duc of Burgundy by his father, who happened to be the King of France, is famous as the person who banned the cultivation of Gamay in the Côte d'Or, saying in his edict of 1395 that only Pinot Noir could be used in the production of red wines from the already fabled slopes.Despite its long history, the property fell on hard times until it was taken over by French bank Crédit Agricole, who have invested heavily, bringing in a new team to support the general manager, Gérard Fagnoni and putting the emphasis on quality. The property has 98 hectares of vineyard, 72 of which are in Mercurey, which was of great interest to us.The 2012 Mercurey Blanc has lovely fruit, good intensity, balance and a superb texture. The Mercurey Rouge has a perfumed nose with a touch of cherries and bright, lifted fruit on the palate while 'Les Puillets' is a step up; full-bodied, with riper, dark cherry fruit. In addition to vineyards in the Côte Chalonnaise, Château de Santenay also have 25 hectares of vineyards in the Côte d'Or, including 18 hectares in the Côte de Beaune. The Saint Aubin, from the four hectares they own in 'En Vesvau', is excellent. It has good depth, a touch of smokiness and nice minerality on the nose and a lively character and velvety texture on the palate. The Beaune 'Clos du Roi' is forward and scented with excellent depth, a good intensity of dark cherry fruit and a dark supple structure." Product Features: Sustainable; Vegan;Vegetarian Winemaker: Gérard Fagnoni Vineyards: The eight hectare 'Les Puillets' vineyard is located on the south-south west facing hillslide slopes in the appellation of Mercurey. The average age of the vines is 30 years. The soils here are rich in clay, but the limestone is still very present as well as some areas of marl. These characteristics give the red wines of Mercurey power and a beautiful structure. Vinification: Most of the fruit from their vineyards was hand harvested. On arrival at the winery, the grapes were cold soaked for seven days at 8°C to extract colour and flavour from the skins. Temperature controlled fermentation lasted 12 to 14 days with daily pumping over, finishing with a rack and return, or 'délestage', to impart the grainy tannins that give the wines a lovely structure and length. The wine was then aged in oak barrels for 13 months, of which 20% were new, before being bottled in December 2016. Tasting Notes: A dark garnet colour. The nose is focused on woody notes and kirsch. Full and rich, the palate shows red cherry and redcurrant flavours with mouthwatering freshness and pleasant tannins on the finish. Though drinking well now, it will reward some time in the cellar. Closure: Stelvin  ABV:13%  Classification: AOC  Acidity [g/l]: 6.42