Domaine Les Astrelles Marsannay 'Sampagny' 2022
A lovely cherry red color, bright and inviting, indicative of its youthful energy. The nose is exuberant and aromatic, bursting with notes of fresh cherries and a delicate hint of rose petals. This fragrant profile creates an immediate sense of anticipation. "Sampagny" is a greedy wine, showcasing a beautiful fruit energy. It is well-balanced, combining the freshness and liveliness of the fruit with a touch of sweetness. The cherry flavors are prominent, accompanied by subtle floral notes, enhancing the overall complexity. The wine's structure is supported by fine tannins and a refreshing acidity, making it both approachable and sophisticated. An expressive and energetic Pinot Noir, offering a delightful balance of freshness and fruitiness. Its exuberant nose and well-rounded palate make it an appealing choice for immediate enjoyment, while its structure and complexity suggest potential for further aging. Perfect for pairing with dishes like roasted duck, grilled salmon, or a variety of soft cheeses.
BURGUNDY 2022 VINTAGE
After three successive high-quality but low-quantity vintages, winemakers in Burgundy are refilling their cellars with an excellent 2022 harvest.This is not to say that it was an easy ride. Once again, frost, heat and drought put stress on the growing season, but timing is everything, and the extreme weather did much less damage than in previous years.
Winters have been wet and mild for years now. The winter of 2021-22 was not, with less than average rainfall and seasonal temperatures. Under these ‘normal’ conditions, we would expect budburst in the first half of April. But summer-like conditions at the end of March forced the vines, especially Chardonnay, to bud early, and we went into frost season with tender green buds exposed. There were two nights in the coming week below zero, but damage was limited.
Spring conditions set in in mid-April, but Summer followed soon thereafter, dry with spiky heat waves. The vines went wild. Winemakers fought to keep the growth under control. And the fight continued until flowering, which happened a couple of weeks early in mid-May.
The warm, dry conditions led to nearly-perfect flowering. We saw for the first time the potential of a great crop, with lots of beautiful, full, well-formed grape bunches; and an early harvest, with fruit setting well ahead of schedule.
But the drought held, and the fear was that this beautiful fruit would shrivel on the vine. Finally, at the end of June, the rain came. Summer storms bring with them the risk of hail, so all eyes were on the sky as the storms were sometimes violent causing significant but limited hail damage. The rains were intermittent, but regular for the next weeks. The cumulative rainfall would not be enough to see the crop through to harvest, however.
The heat waves continued through the rains, and so the risk of fungal disease, usually associated with wet conditions, dried up. But temperatures spiked and dry conditions set in again. The grapes ripened in a full-blown heat wave. Winemakers had to keep a close eye on sugar levels, as the risk was that ripeness could gallop away at the last minute.
And then, just about the time when it looked like an over-ripe mid-August harvest was imminent, it rained again. And the producers were able to let that water absorb into the fruit, increasing the volume of juice that was ultimately harvested in the first week of September.
2022, both white and red, are showing real depth and ripeness. And while there was once again very little malic acid, the tartaric acid holds the balance and structure together. Early tastings in the barrel show enormous charm and vitality. Very promising.
MARSANNAY
COTES DE NUITS
Marsannay is the only appellation Village which produces wines from all three colors. Their typicity is that of the Côte de Nuits, and their style resemble that of their neighboring appellations Fixin and Gevrey-Chambertin.
The Marsannay reds have intense coloration and a bouquet which smoothly blends red fruits (black cherry, strawberry) and black (blackcurrant, blueberry). In the mouth, the attack is powerful and generous shading into a long and meaty finish.
The whites run through the entire gamut of citrus aromas and white flowers (hawthorn, acacia). The mouth is frequently full and rounded, introducing a fine and persistent minerality. Both reds and whites are delicious while still young but, given time, will more fully reflect the typicity of their terroir.
As for the Marsannay rosés, their tender fruitiness recalls vine-grown peaches and gooseberry and in the mouth they are characteristically full, fresh, and enticing.
Regarded as the “Golden Gate to the Côte de Nuits”, the appellation MARSANNAY covers the communes of Chenôve, Marsannay-la-Côte and Couchey. There is evidence of vineyards here, as is the case of the rest of the Côte, as early as the 7th century and the prestige of this vine-growing region is long-established. The Abbey of Bèze, the Bishop of Autun, the Dukes of Bourgogne, and many others have owned vines here and the wines found their way to the tables of Louis XIV and Louis XVl. As late as the 19th century, some Climats enjoyed a classification equivalent to today’s Grands Crus.
The vines extend from North to South along the best parts of the hill-slope and the ground at its foot at heights of 255 to 390 meters above sea-level. Exposures range from due east to south. The soils, derived from mid-Jurassic strata, are very diverse in their composition.
Producing communes: Marsannay-la-Côte, Couchey, Chenôve.
?The name of the appellation may be followed by the name of the Climat looking forward to classifing the Climats in Premier Cru.
Area under production*:
• Reds: 181 ha
• Whites: 40 ha
• Rosés: 20 ha