Description

ABOUT THE PRODUCER:
Antoine Olivier was founded at the end of the 1960s, from a few vineyards left by Antoine Chevalier Moreau to his grandson, Hervé Olivier. Hervé began extending the estate by purchasing historic, old vineyards across Santenay, some of which had not been used for a century, paying particular attention to famous white wine vineyards. The quality of these soils is now recognised in a series of brilliant wines, in particular the exceptional white Santenay, something of a rarity in what is predominantly a red wine growing area. Today, Hervé’s grandson Antoine Olivier and his daughter Jade manage the estate. They are dedicated growers and follow organic practices in the vineyard. Their philosophy is to combine modernity with respect for the Burgundian soils and this stunning collection wines really showcases this.

THE VINTAGE:
The 2017 vintage in Burgundy enjoyed favourable weather conditions throughout the growing period. The season was marked by an alternation of warm and sunny days, with rainy and overcast days, which allowed the grapes to ripen gradually. The harvest produced homogeneous results with good quality berries and wonderful balance between sugar and acidity. The 2017 is a very good vintage with excellent aging potential.

ABOUT THE VINEYARD:
The vines are grown in a singe vineyard plot ‘Le Bievaux l’air de Rien’, which is one of the best plots in Santenay for Chardonnay. The characteristics of the soil and subsoil are very close to those of several Grand Crus from the Côte de Beaune nearby; the specific microclimate here provides ideal conditions to produce complex wines. The vineyard is sustainably and organically farmed, although it is not certified and some of the biodynamic philosophies are also followed. The grapes are hand-picked and carefully sorted prior to vinification.

THE WINEMAKING PROCESS:
The grapes were gently pressed and then racked to barrel where fermentation took place using natural yeasts. The wine was kept on its fine lees and underwent bâtonnage to impart texture and complexity to the wine. Malolactic conversion took place in barrel. The wine was 100% barrel-aged for 12 months, in traditional 228-litre Burgundian barrels of which 25% were new oak. The wine was then transferred to tank where it spent a further six months, prior to being lightly fined, filtered and estate bottled.

OUR TASTING NOTES:
A vibrant and terroir expressive white Santenay showing balanced oak and mineral purity finishing on a peppery note.

GRAPE VARIETY:
Chardonnay 100%.