ARBOIS PINOT NOIR VIGNES DE SORBIEF 2020

Grandes Parcelles

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Several generations have been necessary to patiently built one of the largest and greatest estates in the area, focused on key appellations such as Château-Chalon, l’Étoile and Arbois. The Domaine MAIRE & Fils covers nowadays 234 hectares of vines producing all the area grapes varieties.

100% Pinot Noir.

In the Jura area, Pinot Noir is often blended with other varieties, for its flavour and cellaring potential. It can also be enjoyed as a single-varietal wine. Planted since the 15th century in the Jura, on gravelly soils, it is often the first vine variety to ripen in the area. It gives red wines with a strong colour and hints of wild mushrooms, cherries and wild berries.
With its limpid ruby red colour, this Pinot Noir has a pleasant, pure and fine nose, revealing aromas of red fruits. On the palate, it is a powerful, rich wine with notes of black fruits and fine spices. The tannins are very present and the wine is elegant, making it a good wine for laying down.
Serve ideally with grilled or roasted meats, a fine piece of beef, dishes cooked and marinated, or in accompaniment of a great plate of French cheeses!
14 to 15°C. (57-59°F.).
5 to 6 years.
The Jura wine region is small in size but large in its remarkable diversity. It covers 80 kilometres between Burgundy and Switzerland, in the eastern France. The Arbois AOC is the oldest and largest of the Jura's four geographic AOCs. In particular, it was France's first AOC (created in 1937). Its name originates in the Celtic words "ar" and "bois" that would mean "fertile land".
The “Sorbief” parcel is known as one of the best terroirs in Arbois. It is at least the treasure of the estate’s vineyards where we identified and selected of the best plot adapted to the Pinot Noir.

The parcel is located in the west of the Domaine and to the southwest of the Arbois village on a lovely hill overlooking the famous “Route des vins du Jura” (the Jura wine road) RN 83.

- Surface: 1,40 Ha
- Facing due south
- Average age of vines :  17 years (1999)
- Soils: marls and limestones with fossil shells.

The work in the vines, is based on the respect of the nature and the soil. For young vines, located on steep slopes, to avoid erosion, we cultivate a row out of two, practice soil reassembly to aerate the lands subjected to settlement due to moisture, and grass with plants. Such as clover, which, by competing on the vine, can modulate its mineral and water supply and control its vigour and yield. The Guyot double size is necessary for the Pinot Noir to better control its performance.
Reception of the manual harvest, with sorting on sorting table. Total maceration of 12 days in thermos-regulated stainless steel tank. Followed regularly throughout the fermentation, incorporating some pumping and pigeage (punching). At the moment of pressing, the press and drop juices of each cuvee are assembled and withdrawn for malolactic fermentation on fine lees. Ageing, partially in oak barrels, for 6 months allowing to keep the fruity and typical character of the grape. Light filtration before bottling.
The current public health crisis has certainly marked this year’s harvest, which nonetheless has been able to go ahead!

We were slightly less affected in the Jura vineyards, by drought than other regions thanks to rain during the month of August. One of the main challenges with this very early harvest was to achieve both optimal ripeness and balance.

Harvest was spread over a month on this estate, which has 234 ha (578.22 ac) in production this year. The harvest was good thanks to the replanting and reorganizing carried out in the vineyard over the last five years.

The Jura, now more than ever, can lay claim to being the sixth sub-region of Burgundy! It boasts citrusy Chardonnays with a distinct mineral quality despite the very ripe state of the grapes and fruity Pinot Noirs with ripe tannins.