ROIS MAGES, Rully Blanc Moulin a vent 2016
Looking forward delving into Burgundy (figuratively & literally) this evening with Premier Cru Wines. An excuse to pop (with caution ie Coravin) this beauty which was part of a white Burgundy selection from Wine Cellar.
Rully is a stones throw away from Chassagne-Montrachet & is a real up & coming appellation. ‘Le Cailloux’ is a rock-steenberg single vineyard & Domaine Roos Mages in the town of Rully produces a serious & chiselled beauty… so I’m told! “Anne-Sophie Debavelaere, a native Burgundian, began her domaine in 1984. She farms 7 hectares of vines which are mostly in Rully. Her vineyards are all worked with respect for the land in a fashion known as “lutte raisonnée”. Her winery or “cave de vinification” is a vaulted cellar which was dug from the Rully hillside in 1850. It was originally built by a local negociant who wanted to have a cellar for sparkling wine similar to those in Champagne. Today, it offers Anne-Sophie a wonderful environment in which to mature her wines. Anne-Sophie farms three parcels in Rully, the 1er Cru “Les Pierres” & the two lieux dits “Moulin A Vent” & “Les Cailloux”. Anne-Sophie Debavelaere owns 1.8 hectares in the “Les Cailloux” vineyard. 1.5h are planted to Chardonnay and .3h are planted to Pinot Noir. The vineyard is planted at a density of 8,000 plants per hectare & the vines have an average age of over 50 years. Anne-Sophie further insures quality fruit by severely limiting the yields of her plants with the Chardonnay yielding 40hl per hectare & the Pinot Noir between 30 & 35 hl per hectare. The vineyard descends from a plateau at one of the highest elevations in Rully & offers beautiful views of the Rully valleys below & the Côtes Chalonnaise. As the vineyard name suggests, this “lieu dit” has a great many surface stones. They absorb the sun’s heat during the day & radiate it back to the plants after sunset. She allows natural herbs & grasses to grow between the rows & in the summer it gives her plot the look of a wild garden. The grasses in combination with the rocky soils & dense planting produce an environment where the vines produce few bunches with grapes that are beautifully ripe, concentrated & balanced”
The wine was rich and opulent.. a gorgeously balanced wine – soft white flowers, honey suckle, white peach and pear with a touch of hazelnut. Great length. And great value for money.