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. Vinification without sulfur, small amount of sulfur added at bottling.
Vines are 11 years old. Grapes are pressed immediately after harvest under low pressure and must is transferred by gravity to new oak casks for fermentation. Wines are aged in 10% 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.
"With each successive vintage, Jean-Marc Vincent is proving that with high-quality vineyard sites, tireless hard work in the field, and careful mastery of vinifications, Santenay is capable of rivaling more prestigious crus in the Côte de Beaune. Working the vines organically, as Jean-Marc strives to do, is no easy feat: he estimates approximately 700 hours of manpower per hectare are required over the course of a single growing season! The result is palpable with this latest release, among the most pure, precise, classy wines the domaine has made. The Beaurepaire is a deep, expressive Chardonnay with a minerally grain and the subtlest kiss of toast. From Santenay’s highest-altitude premier cru, this rare white is not to be missed. Enjoy this masterpiece over the next fifteen years." - Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant