After a nice breakfast at the Hostellerie Château de la Barge in Crêche-sur-Saône we drove to Givry, Côte Chalonnaise, for a tour and tasting at Domaine Desvignes.
Owner/ Winemaker Gautier Desvignes was our host.
We started the visit in the vineyards, which are just behind the domaine.
We then moved to the winemaking facilities, were the new vintage was fermenting. We could see the red wine mash at different stages of the red wine fermentation process: in the stainless-steel tank, in the winepress and on the truck on its way to the destillery.
We then moved to the barrel cellar, where the tasting took place, all from bottle.
Following the visit of Domaine Desvignes in Givry we drove to Mercurey for lunch at Restaurant Le Mercurey. This restaurant in this former coach stop offers classical Burgundian cuisine and wines from the region at its best. It is always a surprise to stop at these unassuming places to be in for a real treat.
Givrey
Givry is an often overlooked appellation of 269 hectares in the Côte Chalonnaise subregion of Burgundy. Givry wine is produced in the communes of Givry, Dracy-le-Fort and Jambles The Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) Givry may be used for red and white wine with respectively Pinot Noir and Chardonnay as the main grape variety. The production of red wine dominates, with almost 80 per cent.
There are 27 Premier Cru vineyards (108 hectares) within Givry AOC, but no Grand Cru vineyards exist in this part of Burgundy.
Domaine Desvignes in Givry
This family domaine was founded in 1870 and handed down from father to son. Today the fifth generation is managing the estate and the sixth generation, Gautier Desvignes, who was our host, came on board in 2016.
The domaine is beautifully situated at the foot of a hill, amongst the vines. The method of farming is “culture raisonnée”, i.e environmentally conscious, and the Devignes’ philosophy is best described in their own words: “Our principle is to conserve the typicity of the wines of Givry by showing the terroir, and the specific fruit aromas.” Harvesting by hand goes without saying, and fermenting and ageing is done in tanks or large wooden vats. The Desvignes are very careful with new oak to not mask the authenticity of the Givry appellation.
Tasting
We tasted 5 wines, all red, in the barrel cellar.
The Wines Gautier Desvignes Poured
Except for the first wine all five wines were 2016 Domaine Desvignes Givrey 1er Cru Rouge
2016 Domaine Desvignes Givrey Rouge
2016 Domaine Desvignes Givrey 1er Cru Le Vernoy Rouge
2016 Domaine Desvignes Givrey 1er Cru Le Clos du Vernoy Monopole Rouge
14.5/20 Guide Bettane et Desseauve 2019
Cépage : Pinot Noir
Issu d'un clos de vignes âgées de 40-45 ans de moyenne, parcelle entourée de murs, sol argilo calcaire. Vieille vigne.
Robe rubis soutenue aux reflets violacés intenses. Nez mélant les fruits noirs, sureau, à des notes de sous bois apportées par l'élevage. En bouche, vin alliant la richesse et la maturité du millésime à l'expression du terroir, ce qui se traduit par une attaque assez puissante en bouche avec une excellent niveau d'ouverture aromatique puis le vin se fait ensuite plus élégant et plus fin, les tanins présentent une belle finesse. Vin qui demande à évoluer encore un peu pour obtenir un peu plus d'harmonie en fin de bouche.
A servir sur une belle pièce de boeuf .
2016 Domaine Desvignes Givrey 1er Cru La Grande Berge Rouge
Cépage: Pinot Noir
Issue d'une grande parcelle de vignes situées en coteau, belle exposition au soleil, sol argilo calcaire
Robe rubis. Nez élégant mélant les petits fruits rouges, groseille, et quelques arômes d'évolution légèrement fumés. En bouche,vin élégant mélant des notes de fruits acidulés à des notes plus complexes liées à l'élevage telles que l'humus, les notes fumées.Les tanins sont discrets et distingués. Un archétype de la finesse du pinot noir septentrional.
A servir sur un rôti de veau ou de boeuf.
2016 Domaine Desvignes Givrey 1er Cru Clos Charlé Rouge
16.5/20 Guide Bettane et Desseauve 2019
Cépage : Pinot Noir
Issu d'une vigne située à l'entrée du village, sol plutôt argileux que calcaire.
Robe rubis profond. Au nez, ce vin présente des arômes de petits fruits rouges et des notes florales agréables. A l'aération, ce vin fait sentir sa maturité avec l'apparition de notes de fruits noirs elles que la mûre. L'attaque en bouche est très soyeuse avec uen certaine rondeur et une sensation de douceur. Les tanins sont très fins et enrobés. On perçoit en finale, une légère pointe acidulée qui confère une excellente fraicheur à ce vin.
Vin qui peut encore évoluer mais avec un très bon équlibre à la dégustation aujourd'hui.
A servir sur une viande rouge.
Bye-bye
Thanks Gautier for a great wineyard tour, cellar tour and tasting at Domaine Desvignes in Givry, Côte Chalonnaise.
Lunch at Restaurant Le Mercurey in Mercurey
Following the visit of Domaine Desvignes in Givry we drove to Mercurey for lunch at Restaurant Le Mercurey. This restaurant in this former coach stop offers classical Burgundian cuisine and wines from the region at its best. It is always a surprise to stop at these unassuming places to be in for a real treat.
See also: Lunch at Restaurant Le Mercurey in Mercurey - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours
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