This elegant white Burgundy will be delicious on its own, as an aperitif, but also with grilled salmon, crustaceans and white poultry.
Santenay wine is produced in the communes of Santenay and Remigny in Côte de Beaune of Burgundy. The Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) Santenay may be used for red and white wine with respectively Pinot Noir and Chardonnay as the main grape variety. The production consists of almost 85% red wine, and a little over 15% of white wine. There are just Premier Cru vineyards within the Santenay AOC.
In 2017, everything came good for the Bourgogne winegrowing region in terms of both quality and quantity.
And after several years of harvests that suffered the whims of the weather, 2017 has provided volumes set to satisfy the market, with wines that are already promising great things to come from this elegant vintage.
After spending the winter building up their strength, the vines profited fully from a very warm spring.
Mid-April, in the Chablis area, the vines already had reached the 2-3 spread leaves stage when temperatures dropped significantly and caused widespread frost which heavily affected the vineyards, in particular in the North-Eastern part of the region.
Everywhere else, the budburst in early April ensured a head start in terms of the growth cycle that was maintained right up to the harvest. The plants progressed from stage to stage free from hindrance, and by mid-June, were flowering before rapid fruit set. An early vintage was confirmed.
During the summer, a few spells of heatwave alternated with more mixed weather. However, ripening continued at a good pace and by the end of August, the first grapes were being picked, two weeks ahead of average. Harvesting continued until mid-September as each plot reached peak maturity. The grapes were in exceptional health and required virtually no sorting.
Everyone was very enthusiastic about this fabulous fruit, its peak ripeness, and the volumes produced. The only downside were a few areas hit by spring frosts, where yields were below norms.
Vinification went without a hitch and the mood was one of serenity for this vintage when the Bourgogne winegrowing region returned to more habitual levels of quality and quantity.