Butte Rouge
At a Glance
- Size: 1.00 ha (2.50 ac), selection of only the best bunches
- Varieties: Malbec
- Vine Age: 47 years old (as of 2018)
- Terroir: Deep, red, iron-rich clay soil on Kimmeridgian bedrock. 330m elevation, east-facing, stark contrast of temperature from day to night.
- Viticulture: Organic (AB), biodynamic methods
- Vinification: Destemmed, ambient yeast fermentation in concrete tanks. Aged 24 months in used barrels and foudres. No fining, no filtration. Minimal SO2 adjustment at bottling (10 ppm).
Additional Info
17♥18: This is a one-off, multi-vintage blend for Butte Rouge. In 2017, they decided to do a second cuvée of Butte Rouge with 100% whole cluster inclusion. This cuvée truly displayed the juicy, freshness of the vintage, and they decided to age it for 36 months in barrel to obtain the same supple texture that the typical 100% de-stemmed version conveys, all while maintaining the enhanced complexity of the whole cluster fermentation. They then blended this cuvée with their Butte Rouge 2018, which was more classically vinified – almost entirely de-stemmed, with just a small fraction of whole clusters. 2018 was a dry, hot year and the resulting wine was rather rich, concentrated and opulent, but with the characteristic freshness and elegance inherent to the terroir. They found that the blend of the two vintages was more complete than each one’s individual expression, all while staying true to the essence of Butte Rouge – a wine that is simultaneously generous yet incredibly delicate.