Ruchottes-Chambertin
Styles
Principal grape varieties
Accessory grape varieties
Terroir
Natural factors
- The slope of the Côte de Nuits results from a relief of tectonic origin separating the limestone plateaus of the Hautes Côtes, at 400–500 metres above sea level, from the Bresse plain at approximately 250 metres.
- The parcels are situated between 290 and 310 metres above sea level on a substratum of Bathonian limestones, Middle Jurassic formations characterised by an abundance of murgers — stone-clearance piles accumulated along parcel boundaries.
- The soils are poorly developed, generally calcareous, very shallow, and well-draining owing to their high stone content, with a texture rich in clay and red silts derived from the weathering of the subsoil.
- The cool oceanic climate is tempered by continental or southerly influences channelled along the Rhône–Saône corridor, with approximately 750 millimetres of annual rainfall and a mean temperature of 10.5°C.
- The topographical position of the parcels protects them from frost risk and morning mists while ensuring an easterly sun exposure that is highly favourable to rapid warming of the soil.
Human factors
- The name 'Ruchottes' appears in the archives of Gevrey as early as the sixteenth century, a period during which the parcels appear to have already been planted with vines.
- Wines from the Ruchottes were commonly sold under the name 'Ruchottes-Chambertin' at the beginning of the twentieth century, and a ruling by the Dijon tribunal in 1931 recognised these wines as an appellation d'origine and fixed their geographical boundaries.
- The vines are trained at planting densities exceeding 9,000 vines per hectare, in accordance with the practices prevailing throughout the Côte de Nuits.
Product characteristics
- The wines display a deep red colour that can show violet highlights in their youth, with dominant aromas of red fruits such as raspberry, blackcurrant, and redcurrant.
- On the palate, the aromas burst forth after a lively attack and finish with a length that combines richness and elegance.
Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.
About this boundary
On the map, at overview zooms, this appellation is drawn as a silhouette of its vineyard generalised at 44 m from the INAO parcel delimitation; the parcels themselves appear as you zoom in.
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