AOC VIRE-CLESSE "Les Vercherres" (BOURGOGNE), White wine,  2014
APPELLATION : VIRE-CLESSE, the Northern Cru of Mâconnais region, that always expresses an elegant balance.
   
Cuvée  : "Les Vercherres" is the name of the plot where the grapes are coming from, on the village of Montbellet. An outstanding terroir of Viré-Clessé, that expresses a great complexity and a perfect balance.
   
Soil : Clay from lower bajocian, with stony fallen rocks of limestone. This kind of soil favours the mineral expresssion of the wine.
   
Exposure : At the north of the appellation, the vineyard of "Les Vercherres" enjoy a generous morning sun.
   
Age of the vines : 45-50 y.o. These old vines always give small golden berries, which favours the concentration of aromas ans the structuring of the wine.
   
Grape variety : 100 % Chardonnay
   
Vineyard management : Sustainable management of the vineyard, using copper and sulfur for diseases control (only against of downy mildew and powdery mildew, ). No anti-rot treatment. The soil is plowed in the rows and under the vines, to avoid the use of chemical weed killers, to air the soil and to give more freshness to the roots.
   
Yield : Small harvest in 2014 : 45 hectolitres/ha (but for this vineyard, the yield is always low…)
   
Harvest :  Hand harvested.
   
Vinification : Long and careful pressing, using a pneumatical press. The alcoholic fermation and malolactic fermentation (completely done) are natural, without any addition (no selected yeast, no enzymes, no activator, ...). The fermentations and ageing are completely done into neutral French oak barrels that are 5 to 8 wines old (70%) . 20% of more recent barrels, 15% of new barrels. The ageing duration was 18 months.
   
Bottling : No fining. Bottling at the cellar by ourselves.