![Maison Champy Beaune Red Burgundy][Wine Image]
Maison Champy was founded in 1720 and holds the distinction of being Burgundy's oldest wine house. Based in Beaune, this historic négociant and domaine has been producing exemplary wines for over 300 years. Now owned by the Pernod Ricard group, Maison Champy continues its legacy of creating authentic expressions of Burgundian terroir while embracing modern winemaking techniques. The winery owns approximately 21 hectares of vineyards, including several premier cru sites in the Côte de Beaune.
Appearance: Clear, bright ruby red with garnet reflections.
Nose: Expressive and complex bouquet featuring red cherries, wild strawberries, and raspberry, complemented by subtle notes of forest floor, dried rose petals, and a hint of baking spice.
Palate: Medium-bodied with elegant structure. The palate reveals layers of red berries, particularly cherry and cranberry, accented by nuances of mushroom, sous bois (forest floor), and delicate oak influence. Displays the classic Beaune balance of fruit and earth, with refined tannins and bright acidity providing excellent structure.
Finish: Long and harmonious with lingering notes of red fruits, subtle spice, and a distinctive mineral character reflecting the limestone terroir.
The 2018 vintage in Burgundy was characterized by a warm, sunny growing season following a rainy winter that replenished soil water reserves. Summer brought warm temperatures and minimal rainfall, resulting in healthy grapes with excellent ripeness and concentration. The harvest began relatively early, with most Pinot Noir picked in early to mid-September. Overall, 2018 is regarded as an exceptional vintage that produced wines with generous fruit, balanced structure, and the capacity to develop beautifully with age.
The 2018 Maison Champy Beaune can be enjoyed now, particularly after 30-60 minutes of decanting, but has excellent aging potential. Proper cellaring will allow the wine to develop additional complexity for 7-10 years from vintage.
Grapes are harvested by hand and undergo careful sorting both in the vineyard and at the winery. After destemming (with a small percentage of whole clusters potentially retained depending on the vintage conditions), the grapes undergo a pre-fermentation cold maceration lasting 3-5 days. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks with gentle extraction techniques to preserve the wine's elegance and purity of fruit. Aging occurs in French oak barrels with minimal new oak to respect the wine's natural expression of terroir.
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