Chateau Des Rontets Bourgogne Blanc “du Sud” 2016

Because this white Burgundy is made at the southern border of Saône-et-Loire.
The Chardonnay grapes come from a plot which we planted in 2016 at the limit of our Clos, perched on the hilltop at the south of the village of Fuissé: the appellation is Mâcon-village, but right at the edge of Pouilly-Fuissé.

This is quite a peculiar place, with a slight slope facing east and surrounded on three sides by the big trees of the nearby forest. The soil is very similar to the Clos: hard limestone bedrock 120 to 150 cm deep, a mid-layer millefeuilles made of flat stones and a superficial horizon of clay and silt 15 to 20 centimeters thick.

Fermentation

It is a 2,5 acres plot sheltered from the winds and very warm during the day, but taking advantage of the coolness and the shade of the trees as soon as the sun starts declining in the afternoon: thanks to the big temperature range, the grapes can thus ripen progressively and keep a good acidity even in early and hot vintages. Moreover, the proximity of the forest makes of this spot a transition setting between the monoculture landscape of the vineyards and the higher biodiversity environment of the hills, and it isn’t rare to hear the songs of the birds or see the stealthy silhouettes of foxes and roes.
The fermentations take place in old oak vats and barrels.

The wine is then kept on fine lees for 12 months or more and bottled before the second winter after the harvest, with no or very smooth filtration. Depending on vintages, the final blend of this cuvée can include some of the more simple juices of Pouilly-Fuissé produced within the Clos.

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