Domaine De La Choupette Santenay 1er Cru Clos Rousseau 2023 750ml

The Clos Rousseau class shows in the bluer colour, the lifted mineral side, the finesse of the tannins. Altogether very elegant and fine – dancing compared to the earthier Comme – and very long.

The Gutrin brothers’ domaine was created when the twins joined forces in 1992 – it’s based in the middle of Santenay, with Jean-Christophe in charge of the vines and Philippe in the winery. Perrine Gutrin runs the ‘front of house’. They have vineyards in Puligny (three hectares), Chassagne (half a hectare) Maranges (one hectare) and Santenay (seven and a half hectares) – eight hectares of red and four of white in all. The vineyards are worked traditionally with ploughing rather than chemicals for weed control and to encourage the roots to go deeper. Yields are initially controlled at the pruning and with de-budding, and finally a green harvest as necessary. The domaine is certified HVE 3 (‘High Environmental Value’) from the 2022 harvest.

Whites are classically made with élevage in barrel for a year with up to half new wood. They are playing with the specification of the barrels, looking for a ‘discreet toast’.

The reds are de-stemmed and macerated cold for a week before the three week fermentation at around 28C, then the temperature is allowed to rise to around 33C to stabilise colour and tannins. This gentle vinification is aimed at making fruit-forward wines, which are then aged in barrel for twelve to eighteen months using a mix of new and up to three-year-old barrels.