Morey-Saint-Denis
Styles
Principal grape varieties
Accessory grape varieties
Terroir
Natural factors
- Vineyard located solely within the commune of Morey-Saint-Denis, Côte-d'Or, between limestone plateaux to the west and the Bresse plain to the east.
- Subsoil of Bajocian and Bathonian (Middle Jurassic) limestones, with the 'calcaire de Comblanchien' forming the structural backbone of the relief.
- Soil topo-sequences range from thin, highly calcareous soils at the top of the slope to increasingly clay-rich soils lower down, reaching up to 0.50 m depth at the footslope.
- At the upper slope, a veneer of highly free-draining, low-fertility cryoclastic gravels overlies the limestone bedrock.
- Cool oceanic climate (mean annual temperature 10.5 °C, ~750 mm/year), with the Côte's climatic shelter to the east of the Morvan providing a thermal advantage.
Human factors
- The 'Monts Luisants' premier cru climate permits the use of Aligoté B, a long-standing local practice distinct from the rest of the appellation.
- Cistercian presence from the Middle Ages: the abbeys of Tart and of la Bussière-sur-Ouche developed viticultural estates here. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
Product characteristics
- Ruby colour, velvety tannins, aromas of red and black small fruits; these evolve toward tertiary aromas of spirit-macerated fruit, leather, and game.
- Wines built for extended cellaring that allow tertiary aromas to develop; reds are at their best from 3 to 15 years, and up to 20 years or more in the finest vintages.
Terroir / wine link
- The east-facing aspect promotes early warming of the soils and disperses morning mists, directly linking slope orientation to grape ripeness.
Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.