Located in the heart of the Côte Chalonnaise, one of the oldest terroirs of Burgundy, Domaine de la Bressande offers upper quality wines with finesse, pleasure and elegance. The vineyard estate extends around 35 hectares over the villages of Mercurey and Rully.
RULLY 2020

click on one of the vintages below for further information

2018   2019   2020  

100% Chardonnay.

Colour: Golden Yellow.
Nose: A floral expression with honeysuckle aromas and a present, well-integrated woody touch.
Palate: Fruity wine with a nice balance. Good persistence in the mouth.

This wine will be perfect paired with charcuterie platters (ham or pâtés) or sea food (scallop-shells, salmon). It can also be drunk with hot first courses, such as quiches and pies, or with dry cheeses (goat’s cheese for instance).

Serve ideally between 12° and 14° C / 54° and 57°F.

4 to 5 years after the vintage, or even more in good cellaring conditions.

Rully is a communal appellation of the Côte Chalonnaise, in the South of Burgundy, made up of 23 Premiers Crus climats.

White Rullys spread on a 246 ha area - including 69 ha of Premiers Crus - whereas red Rullys are produced on a 121 ha area of which 28 are Premiers Crus.

Rully was named after a rich roman, Rubilius, who built a villa and founded the village during the roman occupation. It was at first named Rubiliacum and it evolved through the years to become the current Rully.

The Domaine de la Bressande extend on the villages of Mercurey and Rully, Rully Village and Premier Cru appellations.

The total white Rully vineyard area is covering 2.6 hectares spread over 3 plots.

- Vineyard area: 2,6 ha (4.95 acres)
- Vines ages: 28 ans
- Soil: Sol argilo-calcaire

Our white Rullys were harvested between August 29 and September 2, 2020.

The Chardonnay grapes were sorted carefully at their arrival in the winery before being pressed in a pneumatic press to squeeze out their juice.

This juice was left to settle at cold temperatures between 16 and 24 hours maximum in order to remove impurities. The alcoholic fermentation took place in vats to allow for a better control of temperatures, key element in our search for pure color and bright aromas.
Then, just before the fermentation ended, the wine was put into oak barrels (including 20% new barrels) on fine lees for 9 months,
with occasional stirring (about twice a month) until the malolactic fermentation, in order to develop both complex aromas and preserve the purity of the fruit, and also to protect the wine (from oxidation and reduction).

"Never in my entire wine career have I seen such variations in the grapes than in the 2020 harvests" said our winemaker Anne-Laure Hernette.

It was an early vintage, with another very mild winter and therefore an early start to the growth cycle.

A rainy, cool May did not slow the vines down, and temperatures quickly rose again. The summer was one of the hottest we have experienced.

The vines reacted in very different ways depending on the sector and it was necessary to monitor the grapes’ phenolic maturity right up to the harvests, since in some cases the berries suffered significant water stress, resulting in delays in ripening and lower yields.

On the whole, the vines in Rully, Mercurey and Maranges held up well because several of our terroirs benefit from subterranean water sources which partially alleviated the stress.

But the fact remains that the expression of aromatic, phenolic and technological maturity was very different from previous years and the evolution of each parameter had to be closely monitored. Once again, the choice of harvest date was decisive in ensuring the quality of the future wines. Especially since there were sometimes significant differences in ripeness within the same plot.

Harvesting began on 24 August and ended on 16 September. Some sectors required patience: it was important not to harvest too quickly. The grapes were in an excellent state of health, but thorough sorting was necessary to separate berries that were still pink and yet side by side with ripe grapes.

Ultimately, yields were particularly reduced for the reds.

The character of the 2020 vintage will gradually be revealed as it undergoes barrel-ageing, but we can already appreciate it for its balance, promising colours, concentration and generous aromatic expression.