The 2017 vintage is taking its time

The 2017 vintage that is taking shape at Ropiteau Frères is emerging as a crisp and airy wine. 

Alcoholic fermentation was carried out in vats to conserve the freshness of the must, before the wine was gently put into barrels of various volumes for ageing, only being stirred twice to nourish the wines before the end of the malolactic fermentation, which stretched over six months.

And to preserve this ethereal personality, house winemaker Nicolas Burnez opted for longer ageing of 15 months for these white wines, which will imbue them with more oak than usual to give greater structure, with around 60% new barrels instead of the usual 30-50%. Colder vintages with higher acidity can benefit from 60-70%, but the 2017 wines are not especially acidic and had very little chaptalization.

The winemaker also has to weigh up the “toast” of the barrels, or degree of charring used in their production, which plays a role in the final patina of the wine. Here, a slightly stronger toast was used, which is always a gamble, since this decision is made in July when the grapes have yet to be harvested.

In Meursault, out of sight in the 15^th century cellars, the wines develop at their own pace before bottling expected at the end of the year. Among the various appellations in the annual production of around 1,500 to 2,000 hectoliters depending on the vintage, equivalent to a 40-hectare estate, two currently emerge as the winemaker’s favorites.

Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Sous le Puits. These vines of a certain age are organically grown, produce medium to low yields, and express a more feminine side of wine, all about finesse and elegance, which is atypical for an appellation that is usually about structure. But they do exhibit the typical minerality.

Meursault Les Rougeots has its own distinct character, that is quite closed to begin with, making it an outlier for Meursault, the way Nicolas Burnez likes them. The vines grow at mid-slope, at the end of the premier crus, and are well exposed, which recalls the neighboring plot of Les Perrières. The wine is not very forthcoming to begin with, but longer-than-average ageing on lees limits the oxidation, bringing the maximum sought-after reduction. Another atypical wine, it’s somewhere between the style of Auxey-Duresses and Meursault, which spells finesse over a solid structure that will benefit from a few years’ patience before drinking, if one can resist the temptation.