Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru 2012 – Domaine Pierre Naigeon

The must of Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru Domaine Pierre Naigeon  underwent a cold maceration for one week, prior to fermentation which lasted 19 days. Hand plunging and pumping over took place during fermentation to extract the desired levels of colour, flavour, tannins and to impart structure to the wine. Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru Domaine Pierre Naigeon  has a post fermentation maceration on the skins lasted nine days. The wine was aged for 12 months in new oak. It was racked once before being bottled without fining or filtration.

Bonnes Mares is a Grand Cru vineyard in the Côtes de Nuits, which sits across the communes of Morey Saint Denis in the north and Chambolle Musigny in the south. The Pierre Naigeon plot covers half a hectare and is situated on the upper part of the hill where the soil is clay and limestone with a significant presence of white marl.  This specific terroir produces refined and aromatic wines. The vines were replanted in 1993 and are pruned according to the Cordon Royat method; this suits quality production of Pinot Noir as it reduces the vigour of the vine and encourages concentrated berries. The vineyard is managed traditionally, with ploughing and green harvesting taking place. Only organic fertilisers are used; herbicides and insecticides are not used to cultivate the vines. The grapes are hand-harvested with meticulous selection in the vineyard.

Domaine Pierre Naigeon is a leading and renowned producer in the Côtes de Nuits. The Naigeon family has been established in Gevrey-Chambertin for over 150 years. They acquired some vines and started to produce wine in 1890. The estate remained reasonably small until 2003 when Pierre purchased more land increasing their holdings to 11.5 hectares. Pierre Naigeon believes passionately in sustainable farming, without the use of herbicides. He believes in non-interventionist winemaking and aims to produce wines full of fragrance, revealing the natural terroir. The average age of his vines is remarkably high, mostly over 50 years, which endows the wines with extraordinary quality, maturity and concentration.