Domaine Tortochot - Charmes Chambertin 2019
Domaine Tortochot is located in Gevrey-Chambertin, in Burgundy. The estate has been in the Tortochot family for 4 generations. In the 19th century Paul Tortochot was a modest winemaker on the “Place des Marroniers”. His son Félix married Louise Liébaut from Morey Saint Denis, the neighbouring village. Gabriel, the son of Félix has run the 12-hectare estate for many years before moving aside to let his two daughters, Brigitte and Chantal, take over. They have 4 village appellations of which one is from Morey Saint Denis. The aims at the estate are to protect the natural ecosystem, plant-life, animals and insects on the ground, to put more emphasis on the soil's lifespan and to ensure the survival of local flora and fauna. The whole vineyard has been converted to organic farming from 2003, with a certification from 2010.
The grapes are manually harvested, having been previously sorted in the vineyard to eliminate those that are not perfectly healthy or sufficiently ripe. The grapes are fully destemmed and then gently crushed in order to release the juice and encourage fermentation. They are put into tanks then cooled down between 14-15°C. Controlling the temperature allows for a pre-fermentation cold maceration for 4 to 5 days before fermentation starts. Once fermentation has begun, the must is pumped over at the end of each day and the cap is punched down twice a day. The must is analysed in order to determine the alcohol level and acidity so as to carefully measure chaptalisation. Fermentation takes place without the addition of cultured yeast. Once fermentation has finished, devatting then pressing takes place. Free-run and press-juice are blended. After letting the juice settle for 24 hours, the wine is transferred to the cellar where it is placed in new oak barrels (100% for the Grands Crus, 50% for the Premier Crus and 25% for the Village wines). The wines are bottled after 15 to 18 months of barrel ageing.
Grape variety: 100% Pinot Noir
