Morey Saint Denis

Morey Saint-Denis

This appellation takes its name from one of the villages of the Côte-d'Or, Morey and one of its most famous vineyards, the Clos Saint-Denis. The institution of this statute dates from 1939. It covers 5 Grands Crus (Clos de Tart, Bonnes Mares, Clos de la roche, Clos Saint-Denis and Clos de Lambrays) and 20 premier crus on a vineyard area of 110 ha. In this guide, we will make an overview of the terroir of the appellation Morey Saint-Denis and its best producers.

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Terroir de Morey Saint-Denis

This French wine village in the commune of Côte-d'Or is located about fifteen km south of Dijon, at an altitude varying between 220 and 270 m. The Grands Crus and premiers crus are located in the middle of the slopes while the vines are planted on the piedmont, the lowest and highest slopes. To the east, the national road n° 74 delimits the vineyards with the plain of Bresse. The vineyards of the AOC Morey Saint-Denis have several climates classified as Grands Crus, Premiers Crus and Crus. Exposed to the east, the vines grow on clay-limestone and oolithic limestone soils, well drained dating from the Jurassic period. Below the village, the orientation is different. This makes the terrain more marly. The village produces red wines and dry white wines.
The vast majority of wines produced under this appellation come from Pinot Noir. Only a few plots are planted with Chardonnay or Pinot Blanc. In total, 5% of the production is composed of white wines. The styles of wines vary according to the composition of the terroir, the type of grape variety used and the vinification. The red wines have a deep ruby red color, shiny with aromas of red and black fruits and powerful tannins. In their youth, they are endowed with great finesse. As they age, they become more full-bodied, with "wild" scents of truffle and hunting. While the white wines have a very light color. They are perfectly balanced, and are powerful, opulent and supple with floral notes. The Premiers Crus offer more complex scents of leather, moss or game on a finish of remarkable length.
The wines of this appellation are halfway between the masculine wines of Gevrey-Chambertin and the more feminine wines of Chambolle-Musigny. These are red wines for ageing that reveal their full potential after 1 or 2 decades. But white wines have a lower ageing potential.

Our selection of best producers of Morey Saint-Denis:

-Ponsot: this estate founded in 1872 is currently managed by Rose Marie Ponsot. It has about 13 ha of vineyards whose largest farm is located in the place called Le Clos de la Roche. The estate produces two premier crus: Chambolle-Musigny les Charmes, and Morey Saint-Denis cuvée des Alouettes. The first are wines with a supple texture, rich with notes of cherries and mineral on a long finish while the Cuvée des Alouettes is a sumptuous, intense wine with notes of ripe fruit and a beautiful length in the mouth. The estate also produces a wide range of Grands Crus that offer varied aromas as well as a unique white, Morey-St.-Denis Clos des Monts Luisants Vieilles Vignes, made from 100% aligoté.

-Jacky Truchot: the winemaker who owns this estate ended his activity in 2005 following his retirement. But the vineyards of 7 ha have left prestigious wines that are snatched at a golden price today. They are elegant, romantic, refined wines, a delicate bouquet of strawberries, red berries and slight notes of undergrowth while being ripe, graceful and exquisite. The estate is renowned for the extraordinary purity and fragrance of its Pinot Noir.

-Domaine des Lambrays: the creation of this estate dates back to 1363, but it was not promoted to the rank of Grand Cru until 1981. The Freund family made notable improvements in the quality of the wines after they acquired the property in 1996. But since 2014, the Clos de Lambrays has been added to the LVMH group's wine estates. The grape variety consists of 100% Pinot Noir. The vineyards of 8.84 ha produce a Grand Cru that wonderfully combines balance, power and great finesse.

-Georges Roumier: the creation of this estate dates from 1924, but bottling did not begin until 21 years later. This area is distinguished by its Musigny and Bonnes-mares. The first are aromatic wines and overflowing with berry flavors and citrus notes with velvety tannins. The Bonnes-mares, meanwhile, are very sweet and strong wines with a beautiful minerality. Georges Roumier is also known for his Grand cru Corton-Charlemagne which presents a complex bouquet of flowers, fruits and honey and good acidity. It also offers Charmes chambertin, a velvety and silky red wine and Ruchottes Chambertin, an energetic Pinot Noir with scents of spices, fruits, licorice and a beautiful minerality.

-Mommessin: this company based in Quicié-en-Beaujolais produces great wines from Gamay, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grape varieties. They are quality wines with a style combining tradition, refinement and elegance with a surprising mouth.

-Domaine Hubert Lignier: this estate is renowned for its structured, fine and concentrated wines. Its 8.3 ha produce 32 attractive and fleshy wines including 3 Grands Crus, 11 Premiers Crus and 10 villages. Among the great vintages, we can mention the Griotte Chambertin, a wine exhaling notes of violets and roses with fruity flavors. It is also known with the wines Burgundy aligoté, Saint Romain Blanc Sous le Château, Fixin blanc, Bourgogne Passetoutgrain "Aux Poirelots", Bourgogne Rouge "Grand Chaliot" etc. Some of these wines can compete in amplitude, power and complexity with some elite appellations.

-Armand Rousseau: this estate founded in the 20th century also produces wines of remarkable quality on its 15.33 ha of vineyards. These are Grands Crus, Premiers Crus and village appellation wines. It produces 6 emblematic Grands Crus including Chambertin, Charmes Chambertin, Chambertin Clos de Beze, Ruchottes Chambertin, Clos de la Roche and Mazy Chambertin. They are elegant, racy, concentrated wines that show good ageing potential. Visit our wine collection to find the jewel to add to your collection or the drink that suits your festive meals or evening with friends!