Site: the village of Savigny-les-Beaune is nestled in a small valley north-west of Beaune. The "Fourneaux" vineyard is on a gentle slope with an ideal south-west exposure, next to the famous Vergelesses and Lavières vineyards.Soil: marl and limestone from the Bathonian age; light soil with a reddish coloration, strewn with sharp stones.Drouhin estate: 0.3ha (0.74 acre).
Viticulture
Biological and biodynamic cultivation.Soil maintenance: compost of manure and white wood, sometimes guano (seabird manure used as fertilizer). Soil is ploughed either by tractor or by horse to manage spreading of weeds.Treatment: only authorized products for biological cultivation are used: infusions and macerations of plant materials, sulfur and copper, powdered rock. Natural predators are not eliminated.Plantation density: from 10,000 to 12,500 stocks/ha in order to extract all possible nuances from the terroir and limit the production of each vine stock.Pruning: Guyot.Yield: we aim to keep our yields low, more in line with the previous regulation, around 20% less than allowed by the current law.
Vinification
Harvesting: by hand, in small open crates in order to preserve the integrity of the fruit.Sorting of the grapes: in the vineyard and at the cuverie (winery) if necessary.Maceration: - Maceration and vinification take 2 to 3 weeks- Indigenous yeasts- Maceration and fermentation temperatures under total controlJoseph Drouhin seeks total control of the process of extraction; extraction gives colour and substance to a wine but should never be detrimental to its finesse and typical character.
Ageing
Type: in barrels (20% in new oak).Length: 14 to 18 months.Origin of the wood: French oak forests (Tronçay in particular).Weathering of the wood: Joseph Drouhin insists on total control of the weathering for a period of 3 years, one of the contributing elements to the elegance of the wine.Throughout the ageing process, decisions are taken only after careful tasting evaluation, barrel by barrel. The data obtained is then completed through technical analysis. As with every other Joseph Drouhin wine, absolute priority is given to the true expression of terroir and character of the vintage.
Tasting note by Véronique Boss-Drouhin
"The colour of this wine has no equal: its cherry-red hue catches the light in the most seductive fashion. At first, the nose offers a stunning display of spices ranging from pepper and nutmeg to touches of paprika and ...green pepper. The sensations are subtle and never too strong. Other pleasures are to be found on the palate, such as delicate fruity flavours matching a graceful structure, a velvety texture and elegant tannins".
Vintage
This vintage was marked by a concentration of juice in the berries just before the harvest. The wines show a very nice intense ruby colour. The nose is complex and very expressive of red fruits and black fruits but above all the expressions of the terroirs are already noticeable.
Serving
Temperature: 16°C (61-62°F).Cellaring: 3 to 15 years.
