Rosé does age. If you want it to. (Bodegas Otero, Castile & Leon, Spain)

1970 Rosado old bottles in the cellar , Bodegas Otero, Benavente spain castile and leon

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Bodegas Otero, Vinos de la Tierra Valles de Benavente, Castilla y Leon, Spain, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine.

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Bodegas Otero, Vinos de la Tierra Valles de Benavente - Bodegas Otero is a hundred year old family wine business in the town of Benavente in the region of Zamora in Castile and Leon (Castilla y Leon) in northern Spain. Amazingly, the family business is still located in the same place as it was in 1911 when don Juan Otero Colino opened a shop selling wine there.

The wine making business of Bodegas Otero really started in 1853 after a new winery had been built. Even the winery is at the same location as 100 years ago. It shows a mix of tradition and modern technology. There are old concrete fermentation tanks as well as more modern temperature controlled stainless steel vats. (A curiosity: there's an almost antique washing machine!) Some of the wines are aged in oak barrel.

The wines made at Otero are mainly what is called Vino de Calidad (quality wine) from the region of Valles de Benavente. It is located in north western Spain, just on the edge of Portugal. Bodegas Otero makes wine from their own vineyards and from grapes harvested in the vineyards of some 300 independent grape growers. The grape are both of relatively well know varieties and specific autochthonous for the region: prieto picudo, tempranillo, mencia, verdejo, malvasia, garnacha, and even cabernet sauvignon. Bodegas Otero makes a range of different wines. Their main wine labels are Otero Tinto Reserva, Pago de Valleoscuro, El Cubeto, Vina Alegre, Panduco, and Pena Trevinca. Some are made in both red, white and rosé / rosado versions.

http://www.bodegasotero.es

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On the border to Portugal, Arribes del Duero (Spain)

View over Duero , Fermoselle spain castile and leon

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La Setera, Arribes, Castilla y Leon, Spain, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine.

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La Setera is a small family run wine and cheese farm in Spain, in the tiny village Fornillos de Fermosells in the Zamora region (Castilla y Leon / Castile and Leon). The winery is in Arribes del Duero (or DO Denominacion de Origen Arribes). Arribes del Duero is a long drive west from Valladolid taking you almost to the Portuguese border. The landscape is barren, dry hills, bush vegetation, scattered vineyards, but also spectacular when you get close to the winding Douro river.

La Setera started making cheese in 1993 and wine in 2003. It is run by the Spanish-English couple Sara Groves-Raines and Francisco José (Patxi) Martinez. Bodega La Setera makes only 12,500 bottles of wine per year. The vineyard is planted with vines spaced wide, water is a limited resource. In the tiny winery the grapes are fermented in stainless steel tanks. Some wines are aged in wooden barrels. La Setera makes red, rose and white wines: La Setera Blanco Malvasia, Rosado, La Setera Tinto Crinaza, Tinto Joven, Tinto Roble (oak aged) and Tinto Roble Seleccion Especial, all sold at very modest price. They also make a sweet wine from merlot (!) grapes. The red and rosado wines are made from the grape vine variety "juan garcia" giving dense wines with a pronounced acidity and good structure. The white wine is made from malvasia grapes.

La Setera is also a "queseria", a cheese making dairy. They produce 5000 goat cheeses per year. The cheese is hand made, stored and aged in a cheese 'aging room'. During the aging process the cheese gains in flavour and gets a hard crust. They also make a blue cheese, Queso Azul.

http://www.lasetera.es

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Bringing the arms into the wine cellar (Domaine Bertagna, Burgundy)

Oak barrel aging and fermentation cellar. Domaine Bertagna, Vougeot, Cote de Nuits, d'Or, Burgundy, France

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Domaine Bertagna, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine.

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Domaine Bertagna is a wine estate located in the village Vougeot, on one of the main streets, in Cote de Nuits in northern Cote d'Or in BBourgogne. Go out back and you immediately get into the vineyards, with a view over neighbouring Clos de Vougeot.

Since the 1980 it is owned by the family of the German business man Gunther Reh. Today it is Eva Reh and her husband Mark Siddle who runs the estate. The total vineyard area is about 21 hectares. It is planted almost exclusively with pinot noir, the dominant grape variety in Cote de Nuits, to make red wine. They also has a tiny patch (well, not so tiny in Bourgogne, to be honest) of 1 hectare of chardonnay to make some white (that is indeed excellent too).

Their vineyards are in various appellations: Vougeot, Corton Charlemagne, Chambertin, Corton, etc. They produce wines from 18 different appellations, five grands crus, seven premier crus.

http://www.domainebertagna.com/

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The monks' house in the vineyard (Clos de Vougeot, Burgundy)

Chateau du clos de Vougeot and vineyard cote de nuits burgundy france

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Clos de Vougeot, Vougeot, Cote de Nuits, Burgundy, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine.

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Clos de Vougeot (or Clos Vougeot) is a grand cru vineyard in the commune of Vougeot in the Cote de Nuits in Cote d'Or in burgundy. In its centre there is an old medieval monastery, called the Chateau du Clos de Vougeot.

The Clos de Vougeot has some 50 hectares, which makes it the biggest grand "vineyard" (perhaps more accurately, grand cru appellation) in Cote de Nuits (Bourgogne). It was created in the medieval age by the Cistercian monks from the Citeaux Abbey.

The vineyard is enclosed by a stone wall, hence the prefix "clos". It produces red wines from the pinot noir grape (a small portion of chardonnay, pinot blanc and pinot gris is allowed). Clos de Vougeot is also famous for the large number of owners who each own a plot of the "vineyard". The number varies depending on the source, sometimes quoted as high as 80. Jasper Morris lists 41 in his book on Burgundy. The truth is probably in between. Some of the land owners do not make wine themselves but sell grapes or must to others. Since it is a very well known grand cru appellation many négociant consider it important to be able to offer a Clos de Vougeot wine to their customers.

Each year there is a famous festive dinner given at the Chateau du Clos de Vougeot. It is the Confrerie des Chevalies du Tastevin who gives their great annual dinner.

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This would be the rich village? (Richebourg, Burgundy)

Vineyard. Le Grand Cru Richebourg. Vosne Romanee, Cote de Nuits, d'Or, Burgundy, France

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Romanee Conti, Vosne-Romanee, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine.

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Romanee-Conti is one of the grand cru appellation vineyards in the commune of Vosne-Romanee in Cote de Nuits in Bourgogne. It is a monopole (fully owned) by the Domaine de la Romanee Conti, sometimes called DRC. It is planted exclusively with pinot noir grapes to make red wine. Not just any red wine, but one of the most expensive ones you can find.

The Romanee-Conti grand cru is just one of several around the village of Vosne Romanee. When standing looking at the stone cross on the edge of Romanee Conti you have La Grande Rue to the left, on the other side of a dirt road, behind you is Romanee Saint Vivant, above RC up the hill is La Romanee, and to you right (north) is Richebourg.

The total vineyard area is 1.63 hectares. Yields are low, much less than 30 hl/ha according to some, a bit over 40 hl/ha according to others, so there are not many bottles around, only some 4000-5000 bottles. But that is of course not the main reason that makes the wines from this vineyard one of the world's most expensive red wines. That is mainly du to its collectability and to the desire that well heeled people have to own a bottle that says Romanee-Conti on the label, and perhaps, perhaps even one day drink it. It is more of a collector's item than a beverage.

The vineyard is cultivated with organic farming since 1985.

But why there is a tall stone cross standing at the edge of the vineyard I do not know. It was erected in 1723, according to the inscription (which also says "Pierre Argo"), re-erected by the Gaudin de la Villaine and Leroy (at one time co-owners of the vineyard).

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Will this be your Christmas wine? (Domaine Doudet-Naudin, Burgundy)

corton charlemagne grand cru 2003 domaine doudet naudin savigny-les-beaune cote de beaune burgundy france

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Domaine Doudet-Naudin, Savigny-les-Beaune, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine.

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Domaine Doudet-Naudin is a mid sized wine estate in Savigny-les-Beaunes in Côte de Beaune in burgundy (Cote d'Or). It was founded in 1849 and is still in the hands of the same family. Today it is to a great extent Isabelle Doudet who is in charge of wine making, together with Emmanuel Berteloot.

The vineyards of Domaine Doudet-Naudin are primarily in the Cote de Beaune, in a number of different appellations, for example: Savigny-les-Beaune, Pernand-Vergelesses, Beaune, and Aloxe Corton. They also make Bourgogne Aligoté and Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Beaune, and a grand cru Corton. Chardonnay and pinot noir are of course the main grape varieties.

They make wine both from their own vineyards and from bought in grapes and must, thus being both a vine grower, wine maker and négociant. In the vineyards they practice 'culture raisonée' spraying as little as possible but not excluding treatments if need be. They do not use chemical weed killers but prefer mechanical de-weeding with ploughs. they limit yields with strict pruning and debudding early in the season. The grapes are harvested by hand and sorted at two sorting tables. After fermentation most of the wines are aged in oak barrels. The time in wood depends on the vintage and on the appellation. In their cellar they also have a 'library' of older vintages, aging slowly in bottle, for future generations.

http://www.doudet-naudin.fr

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You're toasted! (Claude Gillet cooper, Burgundy)

Toasting a barrel with fire on the inside tonnellerie claude gillet saint romain cote de beaune burgundy france

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Claude Gillet Tonnellerie Cooperage, Saint Romain, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine.

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The Tonnellerie Claude Gillet cooperage in Saint Romain (Côte de Beaune, Côte d'Or, Burgundy) was founded in 1966 and is still very much family owned and operated. It is one of the smaller barrel makers but their barrels can be found in wineries all over the world.

Tonnellerie Claude Gilet cooper has a wide range of products. The barrels are virtually all made from oak and can be had in many different sizes: The traditional Burgundy pièce of 228 litres, the Bordeaux barrique barrel of 225 l, demi-muids of 600 litres as well as many other sizes.

The wood raw material (oak staves, douelles) is aged over an extended period of time outside - up to three years. The staves are cut and shaped into the oblong forms by a machine but the barrel is then put together by hand. An important part of the process is the 'chauffe' or the toasting of the inside. The interior of the barrel is toasted (burned) by an open fire. Depending on the length of the toasting the chauffe is light (légère), medium (moyenne), medium plus (M+), or strong (forte).

The oak vats from Claude Gillet are sold to wineries and winemakers all over the world who use them to age their wines for a short or long period of time in their wine cellars.

http://www.tonnellerie-gillet.com

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Sold for 800,000€ per 428m2 ?! (Batard-Montrachet, Domaine Jomain, Burgundy)

Vineyard. Batard Montrachet. Puligny Montrachet, Cote de Beaune, cote d'Or, Burgundy, France

And on the headline: Leroy fait monter les enchères

(But I don't think it was Jomain's land that was sold.)

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Domaine Marc Jomain, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine.

THIS IS ONLY A SELECTION OF SAMPLES. Use the image SEARCH function to find more relevant photos.Domaine Marc Jomain, Puligny-Montrachet, Burgundy

Domaine Marc Jomain (or simply Domaine Jomain) is located in the village of Puligny-Montrachet, not far from the main square. It is owned by the family Jomain and has some 9 hectares of vineyards, mainly in the appellation of Puligny. It is run by the brothers Philippe and Christophe Jomain and their sister Catherine. They took over the winery from their father Marc in 1992.

The vineyards are planted with chardonnay for the white wines. They have parcels in four of the Premier Cru vineyards in Puligny and a substantial chunk (a third of a hectare) in the very exclusive Batard-Montrachet grand cru.

They practice the so called culture raisonnée, sometimes called sustainable vine growing and that could be described as almost, but not quite organic, accepting to do chemical treatments when absolutely needed.

The harvest at Domaine Jomain is traditionally made by hand by a team of pickers in the vineyard. Some of the wine is aged in wood, only a proportion of which is new oak barrels.

http://www.domaine-jomain.com/

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A two-man job (Domaine Parent, Burgundy)

topping up wine barrels domaine parent pommard cote de beaune burgundy france

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Domaine Parent, Pommard, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine.

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Domaine Parent is one of the leading properties in Pommard. They are just off the main square in the village centre of Pommard. Pommard is in the Côte de Beaune, the next village south from Beaune, perhaps one of the most famous appellations in the Côte d'Or (Burgundy). Today the property is run by the sisters Anne and Catherine Parent.

Domaine Parent has some 10 hectares of vineyards planted mainly with pinot noir for the red wines and chardonnay for the white wines. They also operate as a négociant, buying grapes from other wine growers, to supplement the production. The négociant business is approximately twice the size as their own vineyards' wine production.

The winemaking is in the hands of Anne Parent. There is a lot of attention to detail. Brapes are hand picked and sorted on a sorting table. Fermentation is done with the natural yeast from the grapes. Some pigeage, punching down, is done. After fermentation the wines are aged for some time in wooden barrels (the Burgundy pièces).

Domaine Parent makes a range of Burgundy wines: from the Bourgogne Blanc (Chardonnay) and Bourgogne Rouge, over village appellation wines from Pommard, Ladoix Serrigny, Monthelie, Volnay and Beaune and a series of premier cru wines from Pommard, as well as grand cru from Corton.

http://domaine-parent-bourgogne.com/

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Bang, bang on the barrel! (Domaine Gachot-Monot, Burgundy)

wooden bung with jute on barrel hammer tool domaine gachot-monot nuits-st-georges cote de nuits burgundy france

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Domaine Gachot-Monot, Corgoloin, Nuits Saint Georges, Burgundy, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine.

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Domaine Gachot-Monot is a family owned wine estate since five generations back. Today it is managed by Damien Gachot-Monot and his Danish born wife Liselotte. The winery in located in Corgoloin in the Côte de Nuits (Côte d'Or, Burgundy).

Domaine Gachot-Monot has 12 hectares of vineyards in the communes of Corgoloin, Comblanchien and Nuits Saint Georges. The vineyards are managed in what is called 'culture raisonnée' i.e. minimal chemical spraying, but if there is an urgent need some treatments are used. The vineyards are densely planted with some 10,000 vines per hectare. The grape varieties are pinot noir and chardonnay for the major part. Some gamay is used for the Passetoutgrains and some Aligoté for the whites.

The grapes are harvested by hand and vinified in traditional Burgundian open-top concrete vats. Some pigeage (punching down) is done. Temperature is controlled within certain limits. Depending on the vintage and the cuvée the wines are fully or partially aged in oak vats (Burgundian pièces) in the barrel cellar.

Domaine Gachot-Monot makes several different cuvees but since most of the vineyards are in the Nuits St Georges the appellations that is the focus of their production: Nuits St Georges 'villages' as well as premier cru (several different cuvees), Bourgogne Rouge, Passetoutgrain, Bourgogne Blanc, Aligoté and even a crémant de Bourgogne.

They are located virtually half way between Beaune and Nuits Saint George, the two main towns in Burgundy.

http://www.gachot-monot.com

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The barrel aging cellar, Domaine Michel Juillot Mercurey Burgundy

barrel aging cellar Domaine Michel Juillot mercurey Burgundy france

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Domaine Michel Juillot, Mercurey, Côte Chalonnaise, Burgundy, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine.

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Domaine Michel Juillot is a family run winery. It is on the main street in the village of Mercurey in Côte Chalonnaise in southern Burgundy. The estate is today run by Laurent Juillot, the current generation winemaker, although his father, Michel, is always close by. They have in total 33 hectares of vineyards, most of it in the Mercurey appellation but some in other parts of Burgundy.

The Domaine Michel Juillot property makes a whole range of wines, from Bourgogne Blanc and Rouge (and even some rosé), over Mercurey and also a little Côte de Beaune (from Aloxe Corton, including both a red and white grand cru). The white wines are made from chardonnay grapes and the reds mainly from pinot noir.

The winery is located a short walk away from the main building, on the edge of the Mercurey village, with its back to the vineyards. The vinification is traditional. Grapes are harvested by machine or by hand, are brought in to the winery and pressed (for the whites). Fermentation is steel tanks. Some wines are aged in oak barrels.

Domaine Michel Juillot produces each year around 180,000 bottles of Burgundy wine. The total production is sold in bottle.

http://www.domaine-michel-juillot.fr

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Is this the season for something bubbly? (Domaine Olivier Guyot, Burgundy)

silicone bung stopper on barrel fermenting white wine chardonnay domaine olivier guyot marsannay cote de nuits burgundy france

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Domaine Olivier Guyot, Marsannay-la-Côte, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine.

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Domaine Guyot (or Dom. Olivier Guyot, or Domaine Guyot Albert et Olivier) is a family run winery in the northern Cote de Nuits in Cote d'Or in Burgundy. Olivier Guyot has been in charge of the estate since the early 1990s. The total vineyard area is 15 hectares. The vineyards are both in Marsannay-la-Côte and in Gevrey-Chambertin.

The vineyards at Domaine Olivier Guyot are farmed bio-dynamically, and thus of course also organic. However, Guyot does not adhere to any organisation so has no official organic or biodynamic label. He considers it is too much of an administrative burden. Domaine Olivier Guyot is one of the small number of vineyards in Burgundy who use a horse for the work in the vineyards. They have a work horse called Indigo that is used for ploughing and soil preparation. (Many people think soil compacting due to use of heavy tractors is a problem in modern farming.). In the vineyard Olivier works with careful management of the vines: leave-thinning and crop-thinning as needed, to produce high quality grapes and concentrated yet elegant wines.

Domaine Guyot makes a range of Burgundy wines, both red from pinot noir, white from chardonnay (e.g a Bourgogne Blanc), and even the in Burgundy rarely seen rosé. They also make a white from aligoté grapes, Bourgogne Aligoté. In addition to vineyards in Marsannay-la-Côte they have vineyard plots in Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny, and Morey-Saint-Denis.

http://www.domaineguyot.fr

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"Cy SO2=10cl+10cl"? You tell me! (Domaine E Monnot, Burgundy)

barrel marked with sulphur treatment domaine edmond monnot et fils santenay cote de beaune burgundy france

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Domaine Edmond Monnot et Fils, Maranges, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine.

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Domaine Edmond Monnot et Fils is a family owned wine estate in Dezize-lès-Maranges in Maranges, near Santenay in Côte de Beaune in Burgundy (Côte d'Or). Today it is run by Edmond Monnot and his son Stephane.

Domaine E Monnot has around 15 hectares of vines. The vineyards are situated in mainly in the Maranges and Santenay appellations in central Burgundy. They have a small winery in the centre of the village of Dezize. The make a range of several different cuvees: AOC Bourgogne, village appellations and premier crus. the whites are made from the chardonnay grape variety and the reds are pure pinot noir. The wines are vinified traditionally. After fermentation some of the wines are aged in oak barrels. The time in wood depends on the vintage and on the cuvee.

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We had a really nice time in the cellar with Julie! (Domaine Chevalier, Burgundy)

barrel aging cellar domaine chevalier pere & fils ladoix cote de beaune burgundy france

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Domaine Chevalier Pere et Fils, Ladoix-Serrigny, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine.

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Domaine Chevalier Pere et Fils is a family owned winery in the village Ladoix-Serrigny in the northern part of Cote de Beaune in central Burgundy, in the Cote d'Or. It traces its history back to the mid 1800s and is today run by Claude Chevalier and his family.

The total vineyard holdings are today 16 hectares in several different appellations. Ladoix-Serrigny is at the northern end of the Cote de Beaune, just north of Aloxe-Corton. In fact, Ladoix shares the grand crus Corton (red wines, pinot noir) and Corton-Charlemagne (white wines, chardonnay grapes) with its neighbour Aloxe, the two GCs straddling the communal border. The Domaine Chevalier Pere et Fils makes both white and red Burgundy wines. The white wines include: Corton Charlemagne grand cru, Bourgogne Aligoté, Bourgogne Blanc, Ladoix and Ladoix premier cru, and red wines: Corton le Rognet grand cru, Ladoix, & Ladoix premier cru. They also have vineyards in other villages and thus make Aloxe Corton, both communal and premier cru, Cote de Nuits Village, Gevrey Chambertin and Bourgogne Rouge. They also make the increasingly rare Burgundy wine Passetoutgrain from a blend of pinot noir and gamay grapes.

The cultivation in the vineyard is careful, with in recent decades an increasing attention to soil and plant quality. They practise 'lutte raisonnée', with minimum spraying and chemical treatment. The vinification process in the winery is traditional. After fermentation the wines are aged in wooden barrels in the cellars during a period that varies with the cuvée and the vintage.

http://www.domaine-chevalier.fr

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It is not light at the end of the tunnel. Much better! (Domaine Rossignol Trapet, Burgundy)

barrel aging cellar domaine rossignol trapet gevrey-chambertin cote de nuits burgundy france

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Domaine Rossignol-Trapet, Gevrey-Chambertin, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine.

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Domaine Rossignol Trapet is a family owned winery in Gevrey Chambertin in the Côte de Nuits in Cote d'Or in Burgundy. It is run by David, Florence and Nicolas Rossignol-Trapet (Nicolas and Florence being married). They have been running the estate since the early 1990s when the two brothers took over from their parents.

Domaine Rossignol-Trapet owns vineyards in Gevrey-Chambertin and also in the communes (villages) of Beaune and Savigny-les-Beaune. The vineyards are farmed organically since many years and in the early 2000s they started to experiment with biodynamic farming. Since 2004 they work entirely biodynamic and have also the "agriculture biologique" organic label since 2007 as well as Demeter for biodynamic.

Rossignol Trapet mainly produces red wine, like most producers in Cote de Nuits, the northern part of the heart of Burgundy. The red wines are exclusively made from pinot noir grapes. They make a small quantity of white wines from chardonnay. They harvest all their vineyards by hand in small cagette cases. Grapes are sorted on a sorting table. Depending on the year they destem totally or keep some of the grape stems in the fermentation / vinification.

The wines are then aged in their underground vaulted cellar in Gevrey (as many cellars in Bourgogne) in oak barrels. Some of the wood is new. The aging in wood extends to between 14 and 18 months.

Their range of wines go from a "simple" Bourgogne Blanc or Rouge, over village appellations (Savigny, Beaune, Gevrey), premier crus (five different), and to grand crus (Chapelle, latricieres, and Le Chambertin).

http://www.rossignol-trapet.com

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Simple sandy soil? No, exclusive terroir! (Domaine Ph Livera, Burgundy)

Soil detail. Stony. Sand. Calcareous. Bunches of ripe grapes. Domaine Philippe Livera, Gevrey Chambertin, Cote de Nuits, d'Or, Burgundy, France

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Domaine Philippe Livera, Gevrey-Chambertin, Burgundy, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine.

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The Domaine Philippe Livera winery is on the outskirts of the village of Gevrey-Chambertin in Côte de Nuits in Burgundy. It is run by winemaker Philippe Livera and his son Damien. It is a small(ish) family estate in the northern part of the Côte d'Or. Winemaking is traditional and the wine spends varying time, depending on the appellation and on the vintage, in barrel to age and mature slowly.

Just outside the Livera house, across the street, they have a small vineyard, a 'clos', that is surrounded by a wall, almost in the centre of the village of Gevrey. (And it produces the wine that they call "Clos Village".)

They make several different wines, including village appellations as well as grands crus from chambertin or chapelle-chambertin. All, of course, made from pinot noir grapes.

All images © copyright Per Karlsson, BKWine. Images may not be used without our permission.


Bourgogne Gevrey Chambertin Domaine Philippe Livera stock photo samples - Images by Per Karlsson

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Replanting the vineyard (Fixin, Burgundy)

man Replanting in springtime pinot noir clos saint louis fixin cote de nuits burgundy france

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Domaine du Clos Saint Louis, Domaine Bernard, Fixin, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine.

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Domaine du Clos Saint Louis, or Domaine Bernard, is a family run winery in Fixin in Côte de Nuits in northern Cote d'Or in Burgundy. It is run by the dynamic and welcoming couple Philippe and Martine Bernard.

Clos St Louis has 12 hectares in the AOC appellations Cote de Nuits-Villages, Marsannay, Fixin, Fixin premier cru, and Gevrey-Chambertin. Generally wines of excellent quality, classic Bourgogne wines. The winery is on the outskirts of the Fixin village, or to be precise, in the sister village of Fixey. A short walk takes you into the vineyards, planted densely with pinot noir grapes.

The small winery and wine cellar is housed in the old buildings in the Fixin / Fixey village. There is the vinification building, a small court yard and an old house with traditional Burgundy coloured roof tiles.

Both vine growing and wine making is traditional Burgundian. In the vineyards, there some working of the soil in the vinter. Sprayings are kept to a minimum. After harvesting the grapes in the vineyard the grapes are destemmed, some cold maceration (soak) is done, as well as classic pumping-over and pigeage (punching down of the cap). The wines are aged in wooden barrels for up to 18 months at the most.

All images © copyright Per Karlsson, BKWine. Images may not be used without our permission.


Bourgogne Fixin Clos Saint Louis stock photo samples - Images by Per Karlsson

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Would you walk with me up this path? (Gevrey-Chambertin, Burgundy)

pinot noir vineyard hut chambertin clos de beze grand cru gevrey-chambertin cote de nuits burgundy france

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Gevrey-Chambertin, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine.

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Gevrey-Chambertin is the largest communal appellation contrôlée in the Côte Nuits in Burgundy. It is in the northern part of the Côte d'Or. The village Gevrey has added (as many other villages have) the name of the most famous vineyard to its name, Chambertin, creating the name Gevrey-Chambertin.

The vineyard area in Gevrey-Chambertin is just over 400 hectares (commune and premier cru). The grapes planted are the classic Bourgogne vines: pinot noir, for the red wines, and chardonnay for the white wines, of which there is little. Actually, there is no white Gevrey Chambertin at all since the appellation is red-only. There may be a few white vines in the vineyard, but either they are mixed in with the red wine or declassified to Burgundy. The soil is primarily limestone, gravel and clay.

There are several premier cru vineyards in Gevrey. Some of the most famous are Lavaux Saint-Jacques, Champeaux and Clos St Jacques. In total there are some 80 hectares of premier cru vineyards. there are nine grand cru vineyards (each with its own appellation) in Gevrey: Chambertin, Chambertin Clos de Bèze, Charmes-Chambertin, Mazoyères Chambertin, Chapelle Chambertin, Griottes Chambertin, Latricières Chambertin, Mazis Chambertin and Ruchottes Chambertin. the grand cru vineyards cover 55 ha.

All images © copyright Per Karlsson, BKWine. Images may not be used without our permission.


Bourgogne Cote de Nuits Gevrey Chambertin - stock photo samples - Images by Per Karlsson

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Shapely and perfect (Domaine d'Ardhuy, Burgundy)

Bunches of ripe grapes. Pinot Noir. Clos des Langres, Domaine d'Ardhuy, Corgoloin, Cote de Nuits, d'Or, Burgundy, France

Clos des Langres, Domaine d'Ardhuy, Cote de Nuits, Burgundy, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine.

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Domaine d'Ardhuy owns two wine estates: the Domaine d'Ardhuy at Clos des Langres in Burgundy and the Domaine de la Cabotte in the Rhône Valley. The Domaine d'Ardhuy in Bourgogne is located magnificently in the 'monopole' vineyard Clos des Langres in Corgoloin where it has a charming winery in the middle of the vineyards. The Clos des Langres is just one of several vineyard plots the Domaine d'Ardhuy owns in Burgundy but it is certainly their best known cuvée.

In total they have 42 hectares of vines in several different appellations in Burgundy in both the Côte de Nuits and the Cote de Beaune. Their wines range from regional appellations (Bourgogne Rouge and Blanc), over 14 village appellation, 15 premiers crus appellations to 6 grands crus (in Corton and Vougeot). Both red wines from pinot noir and white wines from chardonnay are made. The Clos des Langres vineyard is an AOC Côte de Nuits Village 'monopole' (single ownership) located just north of Ladoix and a bit south of Nuits Saint Georges.

The vineyards are managed in 'lutte raisonnée' which means minimal use of chemical fertilisers or treatments. The soils are worked mechanically. To fight the grape worm they use sexual confusion pheromones. Vinification is traditional. Most of the red grapes are destemmed, but a small percentage may keep their stems. The grapes (or the must for the whites) are then put in fermentation tanks. Some pigeage (punching down of the cap) is done on the reds. Some of the wines are aged in wooden barrels in the barrel cellar under the main building. Carel Voorhuis, a Dutchman, is in charge of the winemaking.

http://www.ardhuy.com

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Bourgogne Cote de Nuits Clos des Langres Domaine d'Ardhuy - stock photo samples - Images by Per Karlsson

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The intricate web of vineyards (Pommard, Burgundy)

Vineyard. Rugiens sector. Pommard, Cote de Beaune, d'Or, Burgundy, France

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Pommard, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine.

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Pommard is one of the best known villages (or communes) in Bourgogne's Côte d'Or. No doubt it is helped by a name that is easily understood in English. The Pommard commune starts just a short walk south of Baune, the capital of the Cote de Beaune. You can take the Route des Grands Crus or you can walk (or take your bike) along the small roads through the vineyards.

Pommard has 27 premier crus (e.g. Les Rugiens and Les Epenots: Grans Epenots and Petits Epenots), but no Grand Cru. The total vineyard surface area (in production) is 320 hectares, of which an impressive 118 ha is premier cru. All wine made in Pommard (with its appellation controllee) is red and made from pinot noir grapes. Thus, they have no chardonnay vines, Burgundy's (almost) sole white wine variety.

There is a quite famous Chateau de Pommard, that you can visit and where you can taste some wines in the cellar. However, there are other growers that are perhaps better known for their quality. Along the road leading to the village you will pass the old railway station that seems to have been converted into a modest holiday home.

All images © copyright Per Karlsson, BKWine. Images may not be used without our permission.


Bourgogne Cote de Beaune Pommard - stock photo samples - Images by Per Karlsson

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Cavalier? (Chevalier-Montrachet, Burgundy)

vineyard chevalier-montrachet puligny-montrachet cote de beaune burgundy france

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Le Montrachet Grand Cru, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine.

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Le Montrachet is perhaps one of the most famous white wines from Burgundy, or even from anywhere. It is made from grapes grown in a small vineyard in Bourgogne, so even if many people know of it, few have actually tasted it. It is certainly one of the most expensive white wines in the world.

Montrachet is an appellation controllee grand cru vineyard split between the two villages Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet. It is exclusively for white wines, thus made exclusively from chardonnay grapes. The total vineyard area is less than 8 hectares. This tiny vineyard is, as always in Bourgogne, not in the hands of one winery, but the property of several winemakers and wine growers. According to Wikipedia there are 18 owners and 26 producers. Each owner has his own rows of vines. In other words, there are at least 26, if not more, different Montrachets produced each year.

Burgundians are not for making things simple, so this tiny vineyard plot has neighbouring vineyards (which are often considered as part of Montrachet, when talked about in general terms) of almost equal fame: Batard-Montrachet, Chevalier-Montrachet, Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet, and Criots-Batard-Montrachet, this last having less than 2 hectares... There is also a plot (without a specific appellation) called Grand Montrachet.

Some well known owners/producers of Montrachet are Laguiche, Joseph Drouhin, Domaine de la Romanee Conti, Hospices de Beaune, Bouchard Pere & Fils, Domaine Leflaive.

All images © copyright Per Karlsson, BKWine. Images may not be used without our permission.


Bourgogne Cote de Beaune Le Montrachet Grand Cru - stock photo samples - Images by Per Karlsson

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In Beaune "going under-ground" has a different meaning (Bouchard Pere & Fils, Burgundy)

old bottles in the cellar bouchard pere et fils beaune cote de beaune burgundy france

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Maison Bouchard pere et Fils, Beaune, Burgundy, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine.

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Bouchard Pere et Fils is a négociant in Burgundy, founded in 1731. It is one of the best know négociants but has not always been known for its quality. In recent years it is generally considered that they have come back to focusing more on producing quality wine. This is especially true after the Bouchard house was bought by the Henriot family, a well known champagne dynasty, in the mid 1990s.

Today Bouchard Pere et Fils is located in the heart of Beaune in the prestigious Chateau de Beaune, with its beautiful garden and colourful tiled Burgundian roof. There they have a well guarded underground cellar with a treasure trove of old Burgundy wines.

The vineyard holdings of Bouchard includes some 130 hectares in several different communes and appellations across the Bourgogne region. The supplement their own grapes with raw material bought in from independent growers across Burgundy.

In 2005 they opened a new winery facility which gives Bouchard access to the latest state-of-the-art vinification technology.

http://www.bouchard-pereetfils.com

All images © copyright Per Karlsson, BKWine. Images may not be used without our permission.


Bourgogne Cote de Beaune Bouchard Pere et Fils - stock photo samples - Images by Per Karlsson

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The dangers of going wine tasting in Burgundy (Domaine Guy Amiot, Chassagne Montrachet)

bottles on shelf domaine guy amiot & fils, chassagne-montrachet, cote de beaune burgundy france

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Domaine Viticole Amiot Guy et Fils, Chassagne-Montrachet, Burgundy, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine.

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Domaine Viticole Amiot Guy et Fils is the full name of this domaine, located in Chassagne Montrachet. Chassagne is a small village (commune) in Côte de Beaune in southern Côte d'Or in Burgundy (Bourgogne). Domaine Guy Amiot is a family estate with roots going back to the 1920.

As with many of the wine producers in Burgundy the make a whole range of Bourgogne wine: from the regional appellations including even the soon-to-disappear Bourgogne Grande Ordinaire, chardonnay and aligoté, the communal appellation Chassagne-Montrachet, some ten different AOC Premier Crus, and of course the exclusive Grand Cru Le Montrachet. They also make some red wines as well as sparkling crémants. In total a range of almost 25 different wines.

Having such a wide range of wines the vineyards of Domaine Guy Amiot are spread out in different parts of Burgundy. The majority of the vineyards are found in Chassagne Montrachet. The vineyards are planted with the traditional Burgundy grape varieties: chardonnay for the white wines, and pinot noir for the red wines. Plus some aligoté of course.

The wines are all made in the winery facilities in Chassagne Montrachet, where they also have a small wine tasting room. Walking through their court yard to the back takes you directly out into the vineyards.

http://www.domaine-amiotguyetfils.com/

All images © copyright Per Karlsson, BKWine. Images may not be used without our permission.


Bourgogne Chassagne Montrachet Domaine Guy Amiot - stock photo samples - Images by Per Karlsson

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There's a big bug in the vineyard! (Chateau Chassagne Montrachet, Burgundy)

helicopter vineyard domaine michel picard chateau de chassagne-montrachet, chassagne-montrachet cote de beaune burgundy france

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Chateau de Chassagne Montrachet, Maison Michel Picard, Chassagne-Montrachet, Burgundy, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine.

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Château de Chassagne-Montrachet is a wine estate in (naturally) the commune of Chassagne Montrachet in Burgundy, France. It is in the southern part of Côte d'Or, in Côte de Beaune (Bourgogne). It was created in 1951 by Louis Felix Picard but it is really the current owner, Michel Picard that has brought it to fame.

The winery is in the chateau itself that, in addition to the wine making facilities, also is home to a boutique hotel and small table d'hote restaurant. On one hand the winery is very modern, with the latest vinification equipment. On the other it rests on ancient vaulted stone wine cellars where wine barrels and bottles are slowly maturing.

The Maison Michel Picard, owner of Chateau de Chassagne Montrachet, makes a wide range of Burgundy wines: from the very luxurious Bâtard-Montrachet, one of the gems of Bourgogne, over Beaune cuvées to a 'plain' Bourgogne chardonnay and aligoté. The even make a Beaujolais which is one of the few red wines made by this winemaker. However, they also make some reds from pinot noir from other areas in Burgundy, but not under the Chateau name.

http://www.michelpicard.com

All images © copyright Per Karlsson, BKWine. Images may not be used without our permission.


Bourgogne Chassagne Chateau de Chassagne Montrachet - stock photo samples - Images by Per Karlsson

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