Marsannay: the 2015 vintage

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Recognized as an Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée since 1987, the Marsannay appellation is located in the northern part of the Burgundy vineyards, a few kilometers south of Dijon. Let’s discover the 2015 vintage of this unique appellation.

A confidential appellation

Less well known than its neighbors Fixin or Gevrey-Chambertin, Marsannay is part of the Côte de Nuits, one of the sub-regions of Burgundy’s vineyards, based around the commune of Nuits-Saint-Georges. The appellation covers 242 hectares between the communes of Marsannay-la-Côte, Chouchey and Chenôve, and represents just 0.8% of the total wine-growing area in Burgundy.

Far more confidential than the star appellations of the Côte de Nuits, the prestige of Marsannay wines has nevertheless been recognized for many centuries, with Louis XIV already drinking them at Versailles. The only Côte de Nuits appellation to produce wines in all three colors (red, white and rosé), it is also the only one not to have climats classified as “premiers crus” and “grands crus”. Most of the wine produced here is red (76%), followed by white (17%) and a small majority of rosé (7%). Another original feature is that winemakers are allowed to add a few touches of Pinot Blanc to their blends to produce Marsannay Blanc, in addition to Chardonnay. The main climats include Champs Perdrix and Le Clos.

The 2015 vintage

2015 was the year of all records. Between March and August, temperatures were higher than normal for the season, reaching 37.5°C on August 07 in Dijon and 39.2°C on July 04 in Mâcon! In addition to abnormally high temperatures leading to a heatwave during the summer period, 2015 was a particularly dry year, with a severe drought in July resulting from a lack of precipitation. Finally, from June to July, the experts noted an excess of sunshine which, coupled with a lack of precipitation and very hot weather, put the vines to a severe test. However, despite an episode of hail in May, the health of the grapes was exceptionally good, and their excellent ripeness ensured that the harvest was of the highest quality.

2015 is a great vintage for red Marsannay, both powerful and generous. A racy bouquet of red fruits (morello cherry and strawberry) and black fruits (blackcurrant, blueberry) expresses the richness of the Marsannay terroir, and extends with great length to a fat finish. Perfect with prime rib or pike, let yourself be tempted by a cheese pairing with a well-made Epoisses.

A slightly more complicated year for Chardonnays, the 2015 white vintage is of good quality, with notes of citrus, white flowers (hawthorn, acacia) and fresh almond. Full-bodied and round on the palate, with long, mineral overtones, a white Marsannay 2015 is a perfect match for risotto or pork filet mignon.

Finally, Marsannay rosé reveals itself with tenderness and gourmandise, all freshness, with fruity notes of vine peach and redcurrant. Pair with Mediterranean cuisine or summer grills!