The 2012 vintage, marked in Burgundy by capricious weather and particularly low yields, gave birth to concentrated wines with beautiful aromatic intensity. In Les Damodes, this natural richness meets a terroir of brown calcareous soils, finely gravelly, resting on scree from white oolite. The estate's vines, about sixty years old on average, benefit from this stony environment which contributes to the finesse of the cuvée. After manual harvesting and rigorous sorting, the grapes undergo total or partial destemming depending on the characteristics of the vintage. A short cold pre-fermentation maceration precedes a prolonged fermentation of twenty-five to twenty-eight days, intended to gradually extract matter and tannins. Aging then takes place for sixteen to eighteen months in oak barrels, with a proportion of new wood from 20 to 25%. This patient work allows the construction of a wine for aging without compromising the delicacy inherent to this premier cru.
After fourteen years of evolution, Les Damodes 2012 offers the prospect of a tasting where the maturity of Pinot Noir should now take precedence over the immediate expression of fruit. The ruby robe, gradually evolving towards garnet shades, accompanies an aromatic profile likely to combine cherry, candied raspberry, and dried flowers with more complex notes of undergrowth, fine leather, and spices. The palate should retain a generous body, inherited from the low yields of the vintage, with tannins gradually softened by aging. The natural freshness of this high-altitude terroir provides a precious counterpoint to this maturity, preserving the finesse and length of the wine. The finish could reveal nuances of licorice, dead leaves, and mushrooms, characteristic of great Burgundian Pinot Noirs that have reached maturity. A Bresse poultry with morels, roasted pigeon, veal fillet with porcini mushrooms, or sweetbreads will particularly well accompany its aromatic evolution. This bottle today deserves to be opened with care, without systematic decanting, in order to preserve the subtlety of its tertiary aromas.
Grape variety: 100% Pinot Noir
