The Chardonnay is the grape variety for the white Hautes-Côtes de Beaune wines:
- Density: 10,000 feet/hectare.
- Pruning: Guyot, Cordon de Royat.
- Harvest: Manual
- Yields: allowed 66 hl/hectare (59 hl:ha in high vines)
Count on simple dishes, fish or vegetable woks. With a little age it will enhance richer dishes such as fish in sauce or shellfish. Cheeses: Bresse blue cheese, goat cheese and Gruyere cheese.
As their name suggests, these vineyards lie on higher elevations, to the west of the Côte de Beaune; they spread across 926 acres in Côte d’Or and 370 acres in the Saône-et-Loire region, at altitudes ranging from 340 to 450 meters above sea level.
The vines of this appellation are located on the edge of the plateau dominating the Côte de Beaune. It is a relatively recent vineyard, the vines having been replanted only in 1970.
- Clay-limestone soil. Some marl formations, slopes covered with limestone scree.
- South-eastern exposure.
- Steep incline.
- Altitudes between 280 and 450 meters.
2020 was notable for its mildness and low rainfall. After a winter with no serious frosts, we went straight into a spring dominated by sunny, dry weather, resulting in very early bud break. Infrequent outbreaks of rain in June and July were not enough to stave off water shortages.
Very high summer temperatures combined with intense sun exposure levels led to the vines gradually falling prey to hydric stress, causing delays to fruit ripening before harvest-time.
Once again, the vegetative cycle was shortened, being almost three weeks ahead of 2019’s. Thankfully, the harvest was saved by the relative cool of the nights. The harvest was of marvelous quality but there was very little juice in the red grapes (reduction of 30 to 50%), and reasonable potential alcohol, despite the heat.
The whites, on the other hand, coped very well with these extreme conditions and yields were very good.