2023 with the Famille Messager-Germain
The Famille Messager-Germain vision of the 2023 vintage
The weather conditions in 2023 were ideal. A mild winter with sufficient rainfall enabled the soil to be properly prepared. The early spring led the estate to adapt its practices by delaying pruning, thus avoiding too early an emergence of buds before the last frosts. The heavy rainfall at the end of May meant that we had to be even more vigilant when it came to spraying, which helped to keep the vines in excellent health.
Given the exceptional vigour of the vines due to the exceptional weather conditions, the Messager-Germain family carried out severe disbudding, reducing the number of bunches per vine from 16 to 8. A green harvest was also carried out in August, removing 25% of the bunches. The result was a perfect balance between quantity and quality.
DISCOVER THE MESSAGER-GERMAIN FAMILY WINES
Harvesting began on 12 September with the white varieties. Speed was of the essence, as the sun and high temperatures accelerated the ripening of the grapes. Adèle and Simon opted for a partial vinification in whole bunches, taking advantage of the ripeness of the stalks. Pre-fermentation cold maceration was lengthened to extract as many fruity aromas as possible, followed by delicate extractions with light pumping over and punching down to avoid extracting too much tannin. After settling for 3 to 4 weeks, the juices were placed in barrels for 12 months' ageing. Racking was carried out without filtration, followed by a 2-month rest in vats before bottling.
The estate is innovating by working with a new cork-maker, Trescases, to select denser corks for the white wines, thereby reducing the amount of sulphur in the wines. For red wines such as Coteaux bourguignons, Bourgogne and Côtes de Nuits, less dense corks encourage earlier tasting, while high-density corks are maintained for the Fixin, Morey-Saint-Denis and Gevrey-Chambertin appellations.
According to Adèle and Simon, the 2023 vintage is approaching 2015 and 2017 for the reds, and 2019 for the whites. The wines are remarkably complex and well-balanced, with a pH of 3.5, auguring excellent ageing potential. This generous vintage promises wines of great gastronomy, reflecting the expertise and passion of the Messager-Germain family.