Domaine Stéphane Aladame, Montagny 1er Cru `Les Maroques`

Despite the fact that the name 'Les Maroques' is derived from the ancient French 'marais', which means 'swamp', this east facing single parcel of Montagny 1er Cru is situated at 300 to 330 metres altitude. The vines are aged between 20 and 58 years old and are planted on well-hydrated clay-limestone soils, resulting in wines characterised by a marked minerality. The 3.5 hectares plot has been farmed organically since the early 2000s.

In 2023, the winter was milder than average. However, the alternation of warmer and colder days caused a slight delay in the start of the vegetative cycle, which spanned the first two weeks of April. With excellent climatic conditions at the beginning of May, the vine grew at a steady pace. Flowering took place at the beginning of June, predicting a harvest in early September. The grape output was generous, and the harvest volume was promising. July was very unstable, and two hail episodes in mid-July caused some very localized damage. The ripening took place in very hot and sunny weather. The grapes reached maturity from the beginning of September and the harvest ended at the end of the month. Careful sorting in the vineyard and in the winery was often necessary to bring in the grapes in the best condition. Overall, 2023 was a plentiful vintage of excellent quality, with great maturity and powerful and balanced aromatics.

Despite its name 'Les Maroques' which translates as ‘swamp' in English, this east-facing single parcel of Montagny 1er Cru is situated at 300 to 330 metres altitude. The vines are between 20 and 60 years old, planted on well-hydrated clay-limestone soils, resulting in wines characterised by a marked minerality. Grapes were hand picked and the must was allowed to settle before fermentation with indigenous yeasts in 100% old French oak barrels. The must underwent full malolactic fermentation and the wine was aged for around 12 months before bottling.