Beaune Grèves 1er Cru

Duck or goose roasted, to minimize fat.

Beautiful vineyard plot overlooking the city of Beaune. Clay-limestone soil with a predominance of Grèves (small pebbles) and sand. The silica in the sand stores warmth from the sun and is an important factor in ripeness. The wines are noted for their elegance and fruit.

Duration of barrel ageing : 17 months

The grapes were handpicked into small crates, then sorted and totally destemmed. The wine stayed on the skins for 19 days in temperature-controlled open oak vats. Pigeage (punching down the cap) was done twice a day during alcoholic fermentation. 100% malolactic fermentation. Entirely aged in oak barrels.

For years Domaine Jacques Prieur was in a slow and seemingly terminal decline with quantity rather than quality being the byword. The guardian angel arrived in the form of Mercurey-based négociants Antonin Rodet in the late 1980s. Rodet's oenologist Nadine Gublin has been the driving force behind the renaissance in quality which now rivals the very finest producers on the Côte. The Domaine is today owned 70% by the Labruyère family and 30% by the Prieurs.The roots of the revival lie in the vineyards where fewer pesticides and herbicides are being used and come harvest time there is now a far more rigid selection of the best fruit. The results are a revelation. They have an exceptional range of grand cru vineyards – including the grandest of the grand such as Montrachet Musigny and Chambertin. But perhaps because the domaine’s holdings are dispersed up and down the Côte that it has not enjoyed the first rate reputation that one might have expected. The wines are certainly good but perhaps just short of the flair which would place them in the very top division. There is a conscious decision to pick relatively late and make flamboyantly full-bodied wines.