Domaine Bertrand Ambroise
'Drink my wine, drink my soil' Bertrand Ambroise 2012
Bertrand Ambroise has vineyards in and around Prémeaux-Prissey, Cote de Nuits, where the family home is located. Also, they have Grand Cru Vineyards in Clos de Vougeot and Corton with Premier Cru Vineyards in Nuits-St-Georges:- Les Terres Blanches (Blanc), Les Argilliéres, En Rue de Chaux and Les Vaucrains.
Bertrand produces 30% Chardonnay & 70% Pinot Noir, and all wines are now organic. Many of the regional wines (Bourgogne Blanc and Rouge) are now (some since 2004) screw cap, as Bertrand finds that this produces better wines with greater consistency at drinking time.
The red wines are hand picked and sorted on two tables, one vibrating and one hand sorting, where normally 20% of the harvest is discarded, complete berries only being selected (in '09 it was only 15% indicating the quality of the vintage). The pressing is treated with a little sulphur and Dry Ice to prevent the first fermentation until the juice is cool, the first fermentation is for around 7 days at 6-8 degrees C. There is then a second fermentation at 13°C for around 10 days. Once the wines are in the barrels there is a 4-5 month malolactic fermentation with the wines staying in oak for 10 to 18 months depending on their concentration.
Maison Ambroise’s origins date back to the 18th Century. At this time, only a few tiny parcels had been worked over several lifespans. It was only in the 1960’s that the family started making a profit and could live off the fruit of their hard work. Nearly 300 years passed before the Ambroise family settled in Premeaux-Prissey, a small village located near Nuits-Saint-Georges. In 1987 Bertrand Ambroise took over the domaine. Through hard work in the vineyard and his everyday passion for wine, he was able to bring his personality into the wine he crafts from 17 hectares (about 40 acres) of vines. Bertrand and his family are passionate about vines and wine. Together they work with a unique goal in mind :“your pleasure”. Their method of working the vines and making wine is a true philosophy which was built over time around their respect for two varietals : Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
