Albert Sounit Crémant de Bourgogne – Cuvée Prestige Demi Sec 75 CL
Maison Albert Sounit – Côte Chalonnaise
Burgundy
The wines from the communes of Rully, Mercurey, Givry and Montagny have previously stood in the shadow of the better-known appellations from Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits; – but that is precisely why there are particularly good purchases to be made from here. In many blind tastings, the quality has proven to be on par with even great wines from the Côte d’Or, – and the price is in a much more sympathetic range! The town of Rully, together with Nuits-St.-Georges, was the first in 1822 to produce Crémant using the Méthode Traditionelle – copied from the Champagne district.
Domaine Albert Sounit
Maison Albert Sounit is located in the charming wine town of Rully in Burgundy. The winery has been Danish-owned since 1993. The house makes a wide range of Burgundy wines: Crémant de Bourgogne as well as white and red Burgundy from the Côte Chalonnaise. The house’s motto is quality above all else, and the grapes for all the house’s wines are harvested manually (by hand). Only the natural yeast of the grapes is used. The white and red wines are aged in French oak barrels, and bottling takes place without filtration. In 2005, Maison Albert Sounit took over the Domaine Bernollin vineyard in Montagny. The vineyard currently covers 12 ha. vineyards and a fully modernized cuverie. Since 2005, all of Sounit’s wines have been vinified at Domaine Bernollin – both grapes from own fields and purchased grapes.
The house’s Crémant de Bourgogne Cuvée Prestige Demi-Sec is made exclusively from grapes from Sounit’s own vineyard: Domaine Bernollin: approx. 65% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay and 5% Aligoté. The grapes are harvested by hand and fermented with the grapes’ own, natural yeast. The fine and persistent bubbles of the wine originate from the second fermentation, which took place in the bottle (Méthode Traditionelle) and the Crémant is aged on its lees for more than 24 months before disgorging (the process where the lees are removed from the Crémant). The law stipulates that Crémant de Bourgogne must age for at least 9 months before disgorging, and thanks to the almost 3 times longer aging time, Albert Sounit’s Crémant de Bourgogne Cuvée Prestige has a very fine and persistent mousse. During disgorging (removal of sediment, dosage and insertion of stopper), a slightly higher dosage is added in Demi-Sec than in Brut.
Vinification: Méthode Traditionelle – 24 months aging with lees before disgorging.
Tasting notes: Fresh and fruity bouquet. The Pinot Noir lays a foundation of power and volume, the Chardonnay gives finesse and elegance and the Aligoté adds a seductive freshness and crisp acidity.
