Maison Champy Beaune Vieilles Vignes 2022 | Burgundy Pinot Noir

Maison Champy is the oldest wine company in Burgundy boasting a history dating back to 1720. The winery, which has been declared a historic monument by UNESCO, was designed by the famed architect, Gustave Eiffel and sits above an ancient 15th-century Jacobian monk cellar, where the wines are aged in the heart of Beaune. It was at Maison Champy where renowned scientist, Louis Pasteur set up a laboratory and developed the pasteurization method. When Pasteur published his findings, he gave special thanks to fourth-generation Beaune wine merchant, Claude Champy. Pasteur’s laboratory equipment can still be seen today when visiting the Maison.

Maison Champy owns 52 acres of vineyards, including holdings in Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru, Clos de Bully in Pernand-Vergelessess, and Beaune 1er Cru Aux Cras. These prized vineyards, among others owned by Champy, are farmed organically in order to showcase the true character of the terroir in the wines.

The winegrowing team at Champy has worked together for many years with the goal of crafting the best possible expression of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from each unique terroir. Winemaking is led by Dimitri Bazas who, as Technical Director and Oenologist, has been custodian of the wine styles for more than 20 years. Vineyard management is under the watch of Francis Simon, also with two decades of experience with the Maison, and Cellar Master José Ramalho is Champy’s longest-tenured employee, having tended the barrel program for 35 years. Together the team brings their passion, experience, and expertise to each vintage, from vine to bottle.

Grapes are sourced from hillside plots positioned along the mid-to-upper slopes surrounding the historic town of Beaune. The soil composition consists of calcareous clay mixed with Oxfordian limestone rubble and iron-rich reddish marl. The steep, gravelly slopes ensure natural drainage, forcing vine roots deep into the limestone bedrock to absorb mineral complexity. The grapes come strictly from older vine parcels, typically ranging from 35 to over 50 years in age.

Grapes are hand-harvested at optimal ripeness and manual sorted both in the vineyard and upon entry to the winery to eliminate damaged berries or underripe grapes. Grapes are mostly or completely destemmed (with gentle crushing) to preserve pure red fruit notes and avoid astringent green tannins. Cold pre-fermentation maceration lasts around 3 to 5 days at controlled cool temperatures to extract vibrant color and aromatic precursors. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled open-top stainless steel and wooden vats over 2 to 3 weeks using natural and ambient yeasts. Gentle pigeage (punching down of the cap) and remontage (pumping over) are used to extract soft tannins and subtle color without over-extracting bitter seed compounds.

Wine is aged in French oak barrels (pièces of 228 liters). Moderate oak regimen, typically using 20% to 30% new French oak to ensure wood spice complements rather than overwhelms the fruit profile. Aged for approximately 10 to 12 months in Maison Champy's historical 15th-century underground cellars in central Beaune.

Malolactic fermentation occurs naturally in barrel. The wine is gently fined or lightly filtered before bottling to maintain purity and natural texture.