Vézelay : The 44th appellation village in Burgundy
The Tortochot family has been working the domaine for four generations. Today, Chantal Michel-Tortochot is in charge of the running and development of the domaine. The vineyards cover 11 hectares in Gevrey-Chambertin with various prestigious appellations, including 4 Grands Crus. The domaine only produces red wines from the Pinot Noir grape variety.
The harvested grapes are fully destemmed and then undergo a pre-fermentation maceration with pumping over and cap punching operations; the number of which varies according to the appellation and the vintage. Vatting lasts 12 to 15 days and the grapes in the vat are regularly analysed to ensure high quality. Modern equipment and methods are used, including temperature control to ensure perfect vinification. After pressing, the wines go into oak barrels where they age slowly, developing their bouquet and achieving stability and structure. The domaine uses only new oak barrels for the Grands Crus, 50% new for the Premiers Crus and 20% new for the Village wines. This proportion preserves the aromatic finesse and elegance of the Pinot Noir. The wines are lightly filtered before bottling.