2003 vintage

The winter was very lacking in rain. There were a few days of frost in the first fortnight in April but without serious effect on the Pinot Noir. We then had good weather until the harvest with very little rain. The grapes matured around 10th July where temperatures averaged around 30°C. The first week in August saw temperatures close to 40°C. The records of 1976 and 1947, Burgundy's hottest year, were beaten. Some grapes exposed to the south were burnt.

 

2003 will be marked by a harvest that was historically early on 23rd August at the Domaine, with harvest "banns" published on 19th August at Côte de Nuits.
You have to go back to 1893 to find harvests so early. We harvested very early in the morning from about 6.30 am to 1 pm to avoid the hottest period of the day.
The grapes were carefully sorted in the fermenting cellar to eliminate the burnt ones.
It was then necessary to cool the must to about 10°C to delay the fermentation process and to enable vatting of at least 18 days. Preliminary analyses reveal very good sugar levels, even if sometimes water stress causes maturity to be blocked in certain vines. Acidity levels were low and indeed the very high temperatures have enabled the consumption of malic acid and sometimes even tartaric acid in grapes.
We have been constantly monitoring the vats during the vatting process and carried out little punching down to protect the oxidation must.
We then delicately pressed the grapes in a pneumatic press. Yields of juice are on generally 30% to 50% lower than average due to small grapes with little juice.
The wines are then lodged in barrels. We are already noting full-tasting, concentrated and silky.
This so special vintage will remain in the memories of wine makers.

 

We are of the opinion that the wines, which we are tasting at the end of 2004, having just been bottled, are well balanced.
The wines have a rich and very ripened tannin, due to the extreme ripening of the grapes. Despite a relatively low level of acidity at the start, it was maintained so giving full wines today, which are rich in tannins and concentration.