Corton-Bressandes Grand Cru rouge Sans Sulfites Ajouté AOC 2021

A Grand Cru bottled without added sulphites, giving it an immediate, vivid expression. François de Nicolay describes the house style as "neo-classic": little oak, clear fruit, built for decades of ageing. In the glass, this translates into silky tannins, floral notes and mineral depth, at a moderate 12.5% Vol.

Bressandes is one of the climats on the Corton hillside, where the estate also farms parcels in Clos du Roi and Maréchaudes. In total, 13.7 hectares are spread across twelve sites in Savigny-lès-Beaune, Pernand-Vergelesses and Aloxe-Corton. Ploughing is done with four horses: Diva, Epi, Farandole and Gipsy. The de Nicolay family has run the estate since 1834; in 1989 Nadine de Nicolay banned all synthetic products from the vineyards, followed by the conversion to biodynamics in 2005.

Pinot Noir. Claude de Nicolay, cellar master since 1988, has fermented with whole clusters since 2011, in a proportion that varies by vintage. Ageing lasts 14 to 20 months in barrel, with a maximum of 15 to 20 percent new oak, in a vaulted 12th-century cellar built by monks of the Abbey of Cîteaux. The wine is neither fined nor filtered, and since 2017 selected cuvées have also been made entirely without added sulphites.

Silky tannins carry cherry and raspberry, layered with violet and rose. The fruit stays precise, the mineral thread holds through the long finish, and oak never takes the lead.

The only estate in Burgundy to work all of its nearly 14 hectares entirely with horses, at a ratio of one worker per hectare. Demeter-certified since 2011. Against downy mildew, the estate used skimmed milk, a method now approved for certified organic viticulture.