Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits

Wine
Characteristics

The reds are cherry red in color, with hints of ruby. The nose releases notes of cherry, blackcurrant raspberry, wild strawberry, pomelo, sloe, and redcurrants, with touches of mint, licorice, pepper, leather, and tobacco. In the mouth, the attack is smooth and forthright, with fleshy fruit and crisp, fairly structured tannins. The finish is fresher, with hints of menthol and licorice, sometimes evolving to spicy aromas.

The whites are pale yellow to pale gold in color with hints of silvery yellowgreen. The nose offers touches of lemon, apple, peach, quince, hazelnut, acacia flowers, and lime blossom, sometimes wrapped up with hawthorn blossom, pear, pineapple, and almond. In the mouth, it is balanced between freshness and smooth fruitiness, allowing one to appreciate a melting, saline finish, often marked by notes of lemon and tropical fruit.

Wine
Steward’s Tip

Red: Its fleshy fruitiness and crisp structure make it a great partner for convivial dishes like beef fondue, tartiflette, country salad, pork with lentils, shepherd’s pie, chicken brochettes with herbs, and mushroom pâté on toast with an aperitif. More powerful wines pair well with filet mignon of pork and stuffed mushrooms, pan-fried chicken with mushrooms, and steak with a pepper sauce. In terms of cheeses, try it with a mature Soumaintrain, an unpasteurized Reblochon, or a Morbier. You will be surprised by its vitality when paired with a cherry clafoutis or a gratin of summer fruits.

Serving temperature: 14-16°C.

White: Its spry and harmonious character will go down well as an aperitif with savory tapas, gougères, flammekueche, or Maroilles tart. A timbale of seafood, marinated salmon, or fish roasted with vegetables would bring out all its freshness. Smoother wines with tropical aromas would go well with fresh foie gras with fleur de sel, salmon pâté, fish in sauce, or creamy poultry dishes. Soft cheeses, goat cheese with honey, Chaource and Comté also suit it well.

Serving temperature: 10-13°C.

Situation

The vines of Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits are located parallel to the Côte de Nuits, from Gevrey-Chambertin to Corton wood. The first mention of this vineyard takes us back to Meuilley in 761, when the Château de Vergy was the head of the Cluniac Abbey of Saint-Vivant de Vergy, which produced Romanée-Conti, La Romanée-Saint-Vivant and Le Clos Saint-Denis wines.

The vines underwent a cycle of expansion, linked to economic growth throughout the 19th century, until phylloxera struck. Between 1910 and 1936, almost half the vines disappeared. And since the 1950s, it has taken two generations of winegrowers to patiently and bravely revive the appellation. Current generations are continuing this work and rebuilding the cachet bestowed upon it by the legacy of the Château de Vergy and the Abbey of Saint-Vivant.

Terroirs

The vines of Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits grow on the slopes of valleys and vales cut out of the limestone plateau at between 275-480m above sea level, mainly facing south, southeast, and southwest. The soil is made up of sedimentary limestone and marl formations from the Middle and Upper Jurassic.