Monthélie 1er Cru Champs Fulliot 2018 6x75cl

Maybe not one of the best known appellations but one that produces a great value wine. A nice ruby colour with a delicate bouquet with hints of flowers - violets and roses, raspberry, cherry and blackberry red fruits and hints of cinnamon and pepper spices. Fresh and fine with soft tannins with good balance between alcohol and acidity.

Vineyards

Les Champs Fulliots is a Premier Cru vineyard of the Monthélie appellation in the Côte de Beaune, planted in 1983. There are 15 Premier Cru sites (or climates) within the appellation area. It is the largest of Monthélie's Premier Cru vineyards and is set on the south and east-facing slopes. The soils are light and stony and well drained with a high content of limestone, bringing a certain minerality to the wines produced. Their south-easterly aspect means the grapes make the most of the morning sunlight, which helps them to ripen fully in the relatively cool Burgundian climate.

Vintage

2018 has, in short, been probably the most successful vintage since 2015, with some growers harping back to 1990 and even 1947! However, unlike both these vintages, the yields were kind to the growers such were the perfect weather conditions from bud break through to harvest. The end of the vegetative growth cycle took place in hot and often very dry conditions across the region. Isolated localised thunderstorms in July brought with them a sprinkling of rain. In the Côte de Nuits, the south of Nuits Saint-Georges was struck twice by hailstorms. Luckily, however, there was little damage to the vineyards. The vines remained healthy and the sun shone consistently throughout summer. There was barely any need for triage, and it took us a fortnight to pick the entire domaine. For the whites there was an excellent levels of ripeness that lead us to expect great white wines that will be both rich and opulent but balanced by appropriate levels of freshness. In reds, the level of concentration is rare indeed. Colours are deep, yet tannins have an incredibly supple character, the result of perfect levels of ripeness at harvest.

Winemaking

The alcoholic fermentation took place in vats for an average of 3 weeks and the wine was then aged in oak barrels for 15 months.

Enjoy with:

• Grilled and Roasted Red Meats
• Mild Creamy Cheeses

Rack of lamb with a herb crust