wineshark: Santenay

2011年7月31日星期日

Santenay

The Cote de Beaune starts, from the south, with some less well known names. Although not strictly the last wine-producing commune in Cote d’Or, (which falls to the relatively obscure villages of Sampigny, Dezize and Cheilly, sharing the well-known cru of Maranges), Santenay is generally regarded as the southernmost outpost. Many buyers come here to try finding quality red to fill the gap between the grander communes and the Rullys, Givrys and Mercureys of Cote Chalonnaise.

The place is in fact two villages, with Santenay-le-Bas being the larger part and where many of the larger domaines are, and Santenay-le-Haut which is a much older hamlet. The two main tourist attractions are the casino and the hot springs, which has been famous for its restorative properties as early as 17^th century.

This southern end of the Cote de Beaune is most confused geologically and is atypical of the Cote as a whole, with radical changes in the soil. Part of the commune is analogous to Cote de Nuits with deep, though not exquisite red with long life. Other parts give light wines more typical of Cote de Beaune. Generally it has a reliable robustness rather than elegance or complexity. Officially there are 12 premiers crus but only 5 are encountered regularly: La Comme, Clos des Tavannes, Les Gravieres, Maladiere and Clos Rousseau, with the first three are the heart of the appellation. Here marly, limestone soil gives the wine earthy and robustness.

One thing to note is that the Pinot Noir are trained en condon de royat, to limit the vigor from naturally productive soils. However, whether the Santenay is interesting or age-worthy depends as much on the producer as on vineyard. There are pockets of excellence where old vines, small yields and careful winemaking contribute wines of higher quality. Best producers include Vincent Girardin, the many Moreys in Chassagne, Domaine de la Pousse d’Or, Louis Jadot and Drouhin. White Santenay is becoming increasingly widespread and popular but still accounts for less than 10% of the appellation.