Domaine Bruno Colin Santenay ‘Vielles Vignes’ Rouge 2019

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

This Vieille Vignes is sourced from a parcel located just below the famous Clos de Tavannes, the Prarons Dessus stretches along the Dheune river at the foothills of the Santenay village hillside. ”Les Prarons” takes its name from the ”Prés Longs” meaning ”Long Meadows”.

About Domaine Bruno Colin

Michel Colin was the third generation in his family to grow grapes in Burgundy’s prestigious Côte de Beaune. When he retired in 2003, he handed the property over to his sons, Philippe and Bruno, who split the holdings between them to bottle under separate labels.

With the help of his wife, Stéphanie, Bruno farms eight hectares of land, in thirty different parcels scattered over five communes, with sometimes as little as just a few rows per parcel. To farm under these circumstances is quintessentially Burgundian, where the old Napoleonic codes of inheritance (evolved from Roman law) divide property equally among offspring. Parcels farmed by any one family continue to get smaller and smaller as they are distributed among relatives.

He bottles Chassagne-Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet, Saint-Aubin, Santenay, and Maranges. In the old family winery in the center of the village of Chassagne-Montrachet, he vinifies over twenty cuvées separately, more than half of which are premier cru! He uses traditional vinification methods and ages his wines anywhere from twelve to eighteen months in barrel, though he tends to vinify each parcel in a similar fashion. Bruno’s style shows beautiful balance, both aromatically and texturally, while showcasing the delicate minerality and nuanced complexity of each vineyard.

In the Vineyard

Bruno prioritizes mechanical tillage including ploughing and earthing up. He believes well-aerated soil is conducive to the vine’s development as it draws its energy and personality from the soils. Sustainable methods are in place to protect the vineyards and control yields as part of the domaine’s quality measures.

The 4 seasons dictate procedures in the vineyard including pruning, disbudding, lifting and stripping depending on the year, as well as climatic conditions which are key to defining the character of the wines.

In the Winery

Bruno practices minimal intervention winemaking; his priority is to produce wines that authentically reflect the terroir of the region, and that cannot be imitated elsewhere in the world.

White Wines

Fruit undergoes pneumatic pressing, settling, fermentations on fine lees in oak barrels with 20 to 25% new oak. The wine ages in oak for 12 months before being racked and mass blended in stainless steel vats for 3 to 6 months. Fining and filtering if necessary before being bottled at the Domaine.

Red Wines

The fruit is fully de-stemmed before being transferred to vats. Following several days of cold maceration, the alcoholic fermentation takes place using traditional methods, including gentle pumping over and precise temperature control. The wine is then aged in oak barrels, with around 25% new oak, for around 12 months. The wines are then racked and mass blended in stainless steel vats for 3 to 6 months before being bottled at the Domaine.

The 2019 Vintage at Domaine Bruno Colin

Bruno is delighted with the 2019 vintage; they have great balance, and ripe but not excessively rich fruit. He describes them as both bright and intense, reflecting the superb conditions throughout the growing season. Fewer vineyard treatments were required than normal and the result was incredibly healthy fruit at harvest time.

The winter was mild and dry, setting the stage for drought conditions later in the season. Budbreak came early, and spring was comparatively cool, with April frosts impacting above all Saint-Aubin and lower-lying sites in Chassagne- and Puligny-Montrachet. Flowering began early in June, and it was both protracted and uneven, resulting in significant millerandage (shot berries) and coulure (aborted berries). Combined with the lack of precipitation, that made for low yields and bunches with small, thick-skinned berries. Summer was warm and sunny, with heat waves in June and July compounding with hydric stress to slow ripening. August and early September were cooler and sometimes cloudy, though sunny conditions returned for harvest; but it was a dry north wind, rather than excessive temperatures, that concentrated both sugars and acidities alike in the final weeks before picking began.

Harvest itself was comparatively rapid, with several producers complaining that everything ripened at once. The first to bring in their Chardonnay were getting underway around September 5 or shortly thereafter, and the first Pinot Noir followed hard on its heels […] 2019 was, on paper, a rather extreme vintage, yet the vines proved remarkably resilient—and the wines their grapes produced, remarkably classical in profile. “We are convinced that the vines are adapting to warmer, drier years, and we find this very reassuring,” observed Aubert de Villaine, a sentiment that Burgundy lovers will surely share. 

William Kelley, The Wine Advocate

Where in the World is Domaine Bruno Colin

Domaine Bruno Colin is located in Chassagne-Montrachet in the Côte de Beaune. The appellation is best known for their whites, however the estate works with sites in Chassagne-Montrachet and Santenay to produce exceptional red wines. Bruno works with several 1er Cru vineyards in the appellation, including Les Chaumées, Les Chenvottes, Les Verges, En Remilly and Blanchot Dessus, as well as La Truffiere 1er Cru in Puligny-Montrachet and vines at Corton Charlemagne, Grand Cru.