Rijckaert Arbois Grand Elevage Savagnin 2022 (750ml)

Cuvee: "Grand Elevage" ("Long Aging") is a blend of our oldest vineyards of Savagnin in Arbois (4 very tiny plots). They give a really concentrated harvest that allows a long aging of the wines...

Kind of soil: Grey marl deep and blue iridescent marl of the Lower Bajocian (Lias and Trias). A wonderful terroir for the Savagnin.

Exposure: The plots are exposed to the East. The vines enjoy a gentle morning sun that allows a good aromatic accumulation and a progressive maturity.

Average age of the vine: About 70 y.o. (some vines are more than 80 y.o.)

Grape variety: 100% Savagnin : typical variety and iconic of Jura. Savagnin form part of the Traimers' family. Its thick skin - that explains the low yield of juice that it gives to the press - is full of precursors of aromas. This rustic grape variety is both powerfull and fine, and when it is carefuly vinificated, it express an unrivaled complexity. The other main interest of this grape is a natural level of acidity, associated to its DNA, ever giving wines with an integrated crispy acidity.

Pruning: "En arcure" (= arch), a local pruning.

Yield: Regular harvest in 2020, despite the pretty warm weather condition and the age of these old vines :

about 40 hL/ha.

Vineyard management: Organic management of the vineyard : rational and targeted control against fungal diseases (mildew and oidium only), on basis of sulphur and cupper. No weed killers, no pesticides, no anti-rot traitement in order to maintain the biodiversity. Ploughings in the rows and under the vines. Some vineyards are covered with grass on one row per two, where we have some risk with erosion.

Harvest: Exclusively hand harvested, to preserve the integrity of the grapes, so the purety of the future wine.

Winemaking: Alcoholic fermentation and malolactic fermentation (100% completed) are spontaneous, made by the natural floras (no selected yeast or external bacterias). The whole vinification (including the fermentations) took place into neutral French oak barrels : most of them are 8 to 18 wines old. 30% of more recent barrels. No new oak at all.

Aged on the lees of fermentations. No racking and no stirring, to highlight the purity of the aromas. The high potential of concentration of these old vines of Savagnin where this wine come from as to be expressed by doing a good ageing ("Grand Elevage"). About 14 months, with regular fill in up of the barrels to avoid oxydation.

Bottling: No fining/filtration. Bottling at the cellar by ourselves.