Varietal

100% Chardonnay.

Tasting notes

Pale golden colour with green tints Intense nose reminiscent of citrus zest, fresh nuts and toast. Fresh, mineral attack marked by notes of almonds and citrus fruits, developing into a very distinctive finish which is mineral and slightly smoky.

Food and wine pairing

Ideal accompaniment to grilled fish or fish in sauce, equally good with roast chicken.

Serving suggestions

Serve ideally at a temperature of 14°C (57°F.)

Ageing potential

4 to 6 years after its vintage.

Origin

On the left bank of the Serein, nestled between the "Bois des Lys" and "Broques de Biques", the 37 hectares of the "Montmains" climate rise above a hillside at a low altitude. The grapes from which this cuvée comes come from a plot known for its marly profile and another cultivated on stonier soil.

"Montmains" brings together, under its flag-bearer banner, itself as well as the Climats "Butteaux" et "Forêts". Together they cover approximately 118 hectares. This long climate is oriented South-East/North-East and benefits from the sun in the early hours of the day.

From 1537, several spellings were used to designate this Climate, such as "Montméen" or "Montmoyen". Montmains simply designates the mountain which is at an intermediate altitude, between two higher coasts.

Vinification and maturing

- Grapes and must delivered.
- Long pneumatic pressing
- Static cold settling of the musts
- Alcoholic fermentation started in stainless steel vats with the addition of selected yeasts
- After 3 days, around 15% of the juice is drawn off and transferred into fine-grained wooden barrels for the continuation of the fermentation process.
- For the wine remaining in the stainless steel vats, fermentation for 7 to 10 days at controlled temperatures (18 to 20°C) to conserve as much fruit as possible.
- 100% malolactic fermentation
- Matured on the lees for 10 months

Vintage : 2012

After a relatively warm, dry month of March, the new buds started to swell by the end of the month. However the return to cold weather in April cancelled out this early progress: severe frosts damaged the vineyard and destroyed 1% to 5% of the buds in the majority of vineyards. In early May, growth was about one week later than average at a stage of 3 to 4 leaves per branch appearing. The end of May saw hailstorms and certain affected vineyards fell further behind in their development. Flowering, at its half-way stage took place on about 12th- 15th of June. Much rain fell in June with some severe attacks of mildew, making it very difficult for the growers to respect spraying programmes. With July came cool temperatures which accentuated the difficulties and an important oidium contamination occurred in many vineyards. The colour change of the grapes (veraison) was about 10 days later than normal. Finally in August we experienced high temperatures with little rain. The grape maturation started normally and continued well thanks to a warm, dry month of September. The Chablis harvest began on the 24th September. The yields were quite low and good maturity was attained. The musts easily attained a natural degree of 11.5% to 12% and acidity was between 5.5 and 6.5 gr/litre.