After 15 years without the grapes of Clos de la Commaraine being vinified in the cellars of Château de la Commaraine itself, the 2018 harvest sees the renaissance of winemaking activity at this site that is an emblematic part of Burgundy’s history*.
Preceding this year’s harvest, meticulous soil analyses by magnetic resonance and an in-depth survey of the vegetation allowed 8 parcels to be identified in the heart of this single Monopole Clos of only 3 hectares and 7500 square meters. Maturity analyses undertaken prior to the harvest on each of these 8 separate parcels confirmed the validity of this division.
Jean Luc Vitoux, the Director General, comments, “The sanitary condition of the grapes was perfect, enabling us to harvest each parcel at the optimum moment over a total period of seven days, depending on their maturity. The overall balance of the grapes was extremely pleasing, even if acidity levels were a little bit lower than we would have liked due to the very hot summer. Volumes brought in were slightly higher than expected.”
Work in the vineyard, now in the course of conversion to organic agriculture, was carried out with the greatest of care by the vineyard workers who have tended this Clos for several decades, with precise soil tilling, severe disbudding, the elimination of side-shoots and green harvesting to limit yields and improve grape maturity. This rigorous work, combined with clement meteorological conditions, have resulted in an exceptional first harvest for the Château.
Each of the 8 parcels is currently fermenting in separate vats. The Domaine’s team will closely monitor their individual evolution during the process of vinification to obtain the finest wine possible from this prestigious terroir. A new page is turning in 2018 at Clos de la Commaraine…
*(Constructed in 1112 at Pommard, Château de la Commaraine was built by the second Duke Eudes de Bourgogne, member of the first Capetian dynasty in France. The exceptional quality of its wines and the worldwide fame of its vineyard were soon associated with a particular name: the Clos de la Commaraine. The international reputation of its wines attracted numerous prestigious visitors, including Thomas Jefferson. Today, the architecture of Château de la Commaraine, the prestige of its owners and its rich history position it amongst the most aristocratic estates in France.)
