2019 Domaine Bertagna Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru "Les Plantes", Burgundy, France

ABOUT THIS WINE

Rocky and stony soils with good drainage, and a fair amount of mineral dominated clay soils. Les Plantes is located just beneath the quiet village of Chambolle. After strict pruning and a mid-season green harvest to control yields, the grapes are hand-picked in small boxes with hand-sorting at the vineyard and the winery to ensure only the finest grapes. Prefermentation cold maceration is followed by alcoholic fermentation at 82°F, with malolactic fermentation in barrels. Only natural yeast from the grapes is used, the wine is manually punched down and left to ferment in tanks for 21 to 28 days. The wine is aged in French oak barrels (50% new) for 15 to 18 months.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

The historic Domaine Bertagna once belonged to the Cistercian monks, famous for founding the Clos de Vougeot in the 13th century.The estate’s cellars and vineyards are still located in the heart of the village nearby the Château and its ancient Chapter House, but the winery is owned since 1985 by the world-renowned Reh family and managed by Eva Reh.

With 18 wonderfully diverse appellations across the region, 12 of which are Premier and Grand crus, Bertagna is among the top ranking Domaines in Burgundy. A desire for perfection and emphasis on quality, coupled with significant investments in technology and vineyard management, result in some of the region’s most compelling wines. The soils are well-drained and stony, and have a thin layer of chalky subsoil over a deep rocky base. Significant mineral deposits of manganese and iron oxide give a mahogany color to the soil.

Eva Reh has managed the estate since 1982. Extraordinary investments have been made in fermentation technology and the vineyards’ management since the Reh family has taken charge of the domaine, and the winemaking has improved dramatically, emphasizing purity of fruit and expression of the specific terroirs that they carefully cultivate.