CÔTE DE BEAUNE
Beaune Les Grèves
Vigne de l'Enfant Jésus
Premier Cru - Domaine
The name Vigne de l ’Enfant Jésus stems from an old legend. Marguerite du Saint Sacrement, the Carmelite nun who founded the order of the Domestiques de la famille du Saint Enfant Jésus, supposedly predicted the birth of Louis XIV, King of France, despite the fact his mother, Anne of Austria, couldn’t have children. When the future Sun King was born, this exceptional vineyard owned by the Carmelites was named Vigne de l ’Enfant Jésus (Vineyard of the Christ Child).
During a sale of national assets in 1791, Bouchard Père & Fils bid for the vineyard, located in the heart of the 32-hectare BEAUNE PREMIER CRU Les Grèves. The domain remains its sole owner to this day.
Grape varietiy
Pinot noir
Soil
Clayey, sandy limestone
Exposure
East / South-East
Surface area
3,92 hectares
Terroir
— Loose limestone rock, very gravelly soil, almost sandy, preserving the vines from water stress.
— With a bedrock depth of 70/80 cm, roots penetrate deep into the subsoil, embed- ding themselves in underground cracks.
— Mid-slope location: ideal setting for a perfectly balanced soil (avoiding both excess moisture and excessive dryness).
— With a 15% slope, the rainfall from the hillside nourishes the soil and trickles without stagnation.
Expertise
— HARVESTS: Vigne de l'Enfant Jésus is among our first plots harvested each year. Hand-harvested in 13 kg crates, the grapes are then meticulously sorted by our teams.
— VINIFICATION: Cold maceration at the outset of vatting for a few days, followed by fermentation and extraction with treading. Daily monitoring of progress through tasting and musts analysis. Devatting after 18 to 20 days. Vertical press.
— AGEING: 16 to 20 months in French oak barrels. 35 to 40% of new barrels. The remainder consists of previ- ously used barrels. Manual racking to blend the different subparcels when ageing is complete.
— MATURATION: The bottles are preserved in optimal conditions in underground cellars until they are released for sale.
Tasting
— THE COLOUR is still vivid without being too intense.
— THE NOSE reveals a unique blend of aromas combining very ripe black and red fruit tinged with subtle fresh leather notes.
— THE MOUTH, displays the same aromas of fruit and leather combined with notes of wood and spice. The attack remains very fresh, offering great intensity, leading to a remarkably silky and soft finish.The silky quality lingers mingling with a vibration that distinguishes this unique wine from all others. This fruitiness, the silky texture, and hints of fresh leather truly embody the essence of the terroir.