All grapes are harvested by hand, with several passes through the vineyard to pick grapes at the optimal point of maturity. Sorting happens in the vineyard with each grape being inspected by the harvesters. The goal of the vinification and aging is to let the wine develop at a very slow pace. Grapes are pressed immediately after harvest under low pressure and must is transferred by gravity to new oak casks for fermentation, wine is aged in 30 to 40% new oak barrels, wines are never racked, wines are aged for a minimum of 15 months , lees are stirred 3 or 4 times per month up until Spring, then left on the lees until aging is finished. Vine Age: 20, 55 years.
Focused aromatics of white peach, yellow apple, lime blossoms and honey are infused with notes of hazelnut, acacia blooms, white button mushrooms, oyster shells and a light hint of baking spice. As the wine takes air, the palate fills out in texture to match the bright acidity, revealing concentrated flavors of citrus blossoms, hazelnut, honey, and limestone minerality.
"As the story goes, this was the wine that led Kermit to Jean-Marc Vincent. Appropriate, because it seems to me just the kind of wine Kermit likes to have up his sleeve to surprise his most discerning customers. “See if you can guess where this one’s from,” he might say. As you would marvel over the explosive roundness balanced by the stony, mineral freshness, he’d nod and tell you it’s an Auxey blanc. And just like that, your paradigm would shift, and you’d have a taste of the satisfaction he gets from sharing such rare pearls." - Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant