Wines of Domaine Chevalier

Vinification methods

After Claude, who has taken a long step towards quality from the 2000 vintage, Chloé takes over from the 2008 vintage, with the same concern for quality, first focusing all her attention on red wines. As has always been the case, each vintage turns to quality, especially since the application of a new method of harvesting and sorting, introduced by Claude in 2007.

Reasoned oenology: natural fermentations according to indigeneous yeasts, few imputs. All this with respect for the grapes, the Terroir, the vintage and our desire to share our passion in your glass.

CortonRognet  puceRouge FOR OUR RED WINES…

We wait for the maximum maturity of the grapes controlled by frequent sampling, before manual harvesting.

As soon as it is harvested, the grapes are sorted meticaly by a team on the sorting table. We proceed to stalking in slow speed. The grapes are put in vats. Then begins the work of winemaking: daily surveillance, taking specific gravity, temperature-control and tastings permit us to decide the conduct of the winemaking processes. We also decide on the durations of the vatting which takes between 15 and 21 days, according to the vintage and the expression of the wine sought.

The cooling of the grapes and musts permit us to realize long maceration prefermentary to profit of fruits just before fermentation.

Extractions are slow and soft according to a daily choice, after tastings, for punching the cap, for unballasting or for pumping- over. We are looking for wines full of material and fruit, in the image of the Terroir and the character of each of the future wines. After devatting, the pressing is made by successive degrees, with tastings each time to decide to incorporate or not to Cuvée.

The wines are then cooled and barrelled: since 2008, in the respect for the Terroir and fruitiness, only wines for long-ageing are matured with a proportion of new barrels, such as Grands Crus. But all benefit from oak maturing, with barrels of 1 to 4 wines. t

After 10 to 12 months on lees, the wines are then racked off and blended in vats. Wines, neither fined or filtered (with exceptions) will be bottled at the beginning of the year, following the lunar calendar.

Corton_Charlemagne puceBlanc  FOR OUR WHITE WINES…

Harvested at the best time to keep all their freshness, the whites also benefit from a rigorous pre-harvest follow-up.

Harvests are used entirely for pressing which is practiced by successive degrees to decide to incorporate or not to the Cuvee.

Vatting more or less for racking of the must after 24 to 48 hours according to the vintage. After cooling, the musts are then barrelled where they will be processed to the alcoholic fermentation (4 to 12 weeks) : 20 % new barrels for Villages, 30 % new barrels for Premiers Crus and 40 % new barrels for Grands Crus.

Stirrings – in order to keep the lees in suspension which brings material and roundness – are made according to the tastings and the character of the vintage. Maturing lasts from 10 to 12 months. The wines are then fined, filtered, and then rested during 2 or 3 weeks before the bottling process.