Bourgogne Epineuil L'Ame des Dannots 2023 Domaine Dominique Gruhier

The Bourgogne Épineuil L'Âme des Dannots 2023 from Domaine Dominique Gruhier is the domaine's flagship red cuvée and most ambitious expression, a Pinot Noir of real character that marries finesse, minerality and elegance, reflecting the profound soul of a Kimmeridgian terroir too long overlooked. A Chablisian Pinot Noir in all its purity and tension, the terroir's chalky character lending it finesse, freshness, juice, vivacity, salinity and a chalky edge, as American importer Becky Wasserman enthusiastically describes it, having recognised Épineuil's quiet grandeur before most. L'Âme des Dannots is still young and reserved in youth, but the potential is plainly there.

Terroir and vines

The Dannots parcel is the domaine's finest holding, planted on a south-west facing slope, exposed to the wind, over deep Kimmeridgian soil characteristic of the entire Épineuil appellation. These clay-limestone soils, rich in marine fossils dating back 150 million years and shared with neighbouring Chablis, endow the Pinot Noir with saline minerality, natural freshness and aromatic precision that create a red of absolute elegance and tension unique in Burgundy's vineyards. The parcel covers 1.30 hectares of Pinot Noir planted in 1981, vines now in their forties managed under certified organic farming since 2015, with old massale selections reserved for replanting across the domaine. Naturally low yields concentrate aromas with remarkable intensity and focus. Winemaking is precise and unobtrusive, 100% whole-bunch fermentation with indigenous yeasts over three weeks with regular pumping, followed by 12 months ageing in oak barrels, 30% new wood. Sulphur is added only a few months before bottling, at just 25 to 30 ppm.

Tasting profile

The robe is ruby red with purplish reflections, luminous and bright. The nose is vibrant and complex, mingling red fruit purée, subtle pepper, mineral freshness, violet and thyme. Notes of cherry and morello cherry, ripe and lightly spiced, compose an aromatic core of remarkable precision and honesty, enriched by cinnamon and sweet spice notes from oak ageing. The 100% whole-bunch fruit brings an additional floral and spiced character, with an elegant light vegetal note that is the absolute signature of this winemaking approach. On the palate, red fruit notes, strawberry and raspberry, assert themselves with a natural freshness and vivacity that immediately set this Pinot Noir apart from more southerly, sunnier expressions. The tannins are velvety and elegant, natural acidity brings tension and length. The finish is structured, persistent and lengthy, with a return of morello cherry and Kimmeridgian minerality that extends the tasting with grace. Cellaring potential of 8 to 10 years from vintage.

The domaine

The Domaine de l'Abbaye du Petit Quincy is a handsome former Cistercian estate dedicated to winemaking since the 13th century. Sold as national property in 1792, the domaine was acquired in 1989 by Jean-Paul Gruhier and his son Dominique, who has gradually restored this historic vineyard to its full winemaking potential. Since 1999, Dominique has committed to organic production and winemaking without inputs, to preserve the purity of fruit and the authentic expression of a terroir that shares with Chablis its Kimmeridgian geological matrix.

Food pairing

This Bourgogne Épineuil L'Âme des Dannots pairs beautifully with eggs in Burgundy red wine sauce, roast chicken with morello cherries, quail stuffed with grapes, braised red meat, veal braised with wild mushrooms or stuffed cabbage. With cheese, try aged goat cheeses, Reblochon or Saint-Nectaire. Serve at 16 to 17°C, opened at least an hour in advance. It will reveal all its Kimmeridgian minerality, fruited finesse and natural elegance, the signature of one of Yonne's most committed and sincere winemakers.