Domaine de la Vougeraie : Beaune Village "La Montée Rouge" 2021

Characteristics and tasting tips for the Domaine de la Vougeraie Beaune Village "La Montée Rouge" 2021

Tasting

Appearance

The appearance unveils a deep ruby red color with brilliant highlights, testifying to the wine's youth and the quality of the extraction carried out during vinification.

Nose

The aromatic bouquet opens with expressive red fruit notes, particularly currants, tart cherries, raspberries and red plums. These fruity aromas are complemented by mineral nuances of wet stone, earthy touches from the iron-rich terroir and subtle animal notes evoking leather, conferring a beautiful complexity to the nose.

Palate

The attack on the palate is lively and precise, carried by a fresh acidity that structures the whole without aggressiveness. The mid-palate reveals a beautiful volume and a silky texture characteristic of Pinot Noir, with elegant and well-integrated tannins. The balance between the tannic structure and the fruity expression is harmonious, favoring finesse over power. The finish extends pleasantly on notes of red fruits, minerality and pepper, leaving an impression of refinement and elegance.

Food and wine pairings

This Beaune Village "La Montée Rouge" 2021 pairs perfectly with traditional Burgundian cuisine preparations such as coq au vin, veal meatballs or venison stew. It also goes very well with fatty fish like salmon prepared with herbs, roasted poultry, duck or feathered game. As for cheeses, it pairs harmoniously with ripened soft cheeses like Reblochon or Brillat-Savarin.

Service and cellaring

To fully reveal its aromatic palette, this Beaune Village "La Montée Rouge" 2021 will benefit from being aerated or decanted 30 to 45 minutes before serving. The ideal serving temperature is between 14 and 16°C. This wine can be appreciated now and will continue to evolve until the early 2030s, allowing the tannins to refine and the earthy notes to develop further.

An elegant and mineral Beaune from Burgundian biodynamics

The estate

Domaine de la Vougeraie was created in 1999 by the Boisset family, who had begun acquiring vine parcels as early as 1964 with the purchase of Les Evocelles in Gevrey-Chambertin. Based in Premeaux-Prissey, between the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune, the estate today spans approximately 44 to 52 hectares distributed across 72 parcels covering 37 different appellations in Burgundy. Directed by Jean-Charles and Nathalie Boisset, with Sylvie Poillot as General Manager since 2017 and Camille Leynaud-Prince in charge of winemaking since 2015, the estate has distinguished itself by its early commitment to organic farming (certified in 2000) and biodynamics (certified across the entire vineyard in 2011). This rigorous philosophy has earned it exceptional recognition with the maximum score of 5/5 awarded by Bettane+Desseauve, praising the purity and elegance of its wines from prestigious terroirs including nine Grands Crus.

The vineyard

The Beaune Village "La Montée Rouge" 2021 comes from parcels located in a small valley under the Route de Bouze. The vineyard rests on red soil exceptionally rich in iron, hence the name of the parcel, covering a clay-limestone subsoil dotted with small round pebbles, particularly concentrated in the upper parts. This geological composition gives the wine its distinctive minerality and characteristic earthy notes. The south-east exposure allows for optimal ripening of the grapes thanks to generous sunshine in the morning and afternoon, while the valley position ensures natural ventilation preserving freshness. The vines of La Montée Rouge, supplemented by parcels from La Plante and Sous Sapins, total approximately 0.533 hectares and were planted between 1985 and 1986, thus offering grapes from vines aged about 35 to 36 years during the 2021 vintage. The vineyard is managed using massal selection supplemented by a few clones, with a planting density reaching 10,000 vines per hectare, and cultivated according to biodynamic principles.

The vintage

The 2021 vintage proved particularly demanding for Burgundian winemakers. Devastating frosts in April destroyed between 50 and 70% of the potential harvest in many sectors. The summer was then marked by persistent humidity and meteorological instability favoring the development of mildew, requiring constant vigilance in the vineyard. Despite these difficult conditions, rigorous sorting at harvest allowed for the selection of only perfectly healthy and ripe grapes, giving birth to wines of unexpected quality, favoring elegance and freshness over maximum concentration.

Winemaking and aging

After manual harvesting and meticulous sorting, the grapes for the Beaune Village "La Montée Rouge" 2021 were gently crushed and then transferred by gravity into wooden vats for fermentation. No yeast was added, fermentation taking place exclusively with naturally occurring indigenous yeasts. A cold maceration at 12-15°C for five days preceded alcoholic fermentation, allowing for gentle extraction of aromatic and tannic compounds. The total maceration extended over 18 days, during which two punch-downs and light daily pump-overs were carried out with the delicacy characteristic of the estate. After vertical pressing, the wine was transferred by gravity into French oak barrels sourced exclusively from the Cîteaux Forest, air-dried for three years on the property. Aging took place over 15 months in barrels, including 27% new oak, followed by one month in stainless steel vats before bottling carried out by gravity according to the biodynamic lunar calendar.

Grape variety

100% Pinot Noir