Greenish, pale golden color.
It has an extroverted character and a delicate floral scent with hints of honeysuckle.
Over time, aromas of fresh yellow fruit add complexity to this wine.
On the palate, you'll experience a well-balanced texture and a pleasant lingering finish.
The name of this cuvée, Margotton, is not named after the plot.
The name comes from Margherita, the daughter of Philippe and Catherine, who is heavily involved in the management of the domaine.
This northeast-facing plot is located in La Creuse, between Mercurey's Premier Cru vineyards Les Champs-Martins and Rully, at an altitude of 318m to 328m.
There is a small depression at the bottom of the plot, making the terrain very undulating.
Planted in 1987, the vines benefit from a north-east facing slope with a 10% gradient.
Chardonnay thrives in this type of soil, which is made up of deep calcareous clay soils, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly under the influence of the terroir.
Harvesting of this plot began one week after the Domaine's first harvest began.
2015 was a sun-filled vintage.
The grapes were able to store the nutrients they needed during the growing season.
July was particularly hot and dry, with temperatures rising and exceeding 30°C for 18 consecutive days.
There was a little bit of blessed rain in August.
The above-ground tree activity began early, with flowering occurring at the end of May.
The grapes ripened quickly and harvest began on September 2nd.
The harvest took place over six days, and we were blessed with sunny weather every day.
We had a great grape harvest.
Bottled on November 28, 2016.
The grapes are sorted on the vine and, if necessary, may be sorted a second time on a sorting table once they arrive at the winery.
After gentle pressing, the must is allowed to settle naturally for approximately 12 hours.
This light racking helps preserve the wine in good condition and protects it from oxidation.
It is then transferred by gravity into barrels, preserving its rich flavour, where alcoholic fermentation begins.
Les Margotons winemaking takes 12 to 15 months in 1 to 3 year old barrels (no new barrels).
During this time, apart from stirring the lees, no other manipulations are made to the wine, and we place great importance on bringing out the minerality and freshness that are characteristic of this terroir.
Before bottling, the wine is kept in tanks for around two months to allow it to mature.
The winery has four floors and allows the grapes to be processed by gravity from arrival to bottling without the use of pumps.
Founded by a Cistercian monastery around 1130, it is one of the oldest domaines in Burgundy.
The cellar, built in the 12th century, is in the Gothic style characteristic of Cistercian abbeys and was run by the abbey until the French Revolution in 1789.
The Pascal family purchased the domaine, which had fallen into decadence, in 2004 and named it "Clos du Cellier aux Moines", the same name as a particularly fine stone-walled plot (clos) among the Givry 1er Cru vineyards.In order to produce wines worthy of its history and past fame, they spent enormous amounts of money to restore the domaine and introduced the first full gravity system in Burgundy, among other efforts to improve quality and revive the domaine.
Pascal is an intellectual and passionate man who moved from Paris with his wife after serving as CEO of LVMH's Champagne House and luxury jewelry company, and has an extensive network in the global wine industry.
Guillaume Marc, who is in charge of brewing, is a talented young winemaker who has experience at DRC and Arnoux-Lachaux, and has a deep knowledge of biodynamic farming.
Now, our three children are also involved and we are gradually buying back the farm.
In order to harvest the highest quality grapes, the fields are grown without pesticides, yields are limited, and the grapes are cultivated regularly. Only fully ripe grapes are hand-picked and then re-sorted on a selection table, ensuring the utmost in quality.
Pinot Noir is fermented whole bunch in large wooden foudres at a controlled temperature.
The Chardonnay is gently pressed using an air press, and both the red and white wines are aged in barrels.
The transition to organic and biodynamic farming methods has been gradual since 2015, but was completed in 2017.
The domaine's motto is "simple and natural," inheriting the monks' ideas and simply enriching the natural power of the grapes.
There is no doubt that this domaine will attract more and more attention as a representative domaine of the Côte d'Or, transcending only Givry in the Chalonnaise region.