DOMAINE JOËL REMY

The 12 hectares of the Domaine Joël Remy are worked according to “lutte raisonnée” practices, that is to say rational management with minimal use of chemicals: Ploughing and grass cover of soils. The grapes are hand-picked by a faithful team. They are harvested in small 13-kilo crates. The red and white wines are produced in a pure Burgundy tradition and aged in casks. Bottling is carried out at the domaine.

From the vine to wine.

Sustainable cultivation or “culture raisonnée” and respect for the environment are farming practices that are applied to all of the domaine’s vines. 10,000 vine stocks are planted per hectare. Soil analyses, carried out regularly on all of the soils, make it possible to optimise the intake of nutrients necessary to the vines. The soils are ploughed, which is essential for the development of the desired soil micro-organisms. Some plots are allowed grass cover in order to increase soil bearing capacity and compete with the vines on deep soils. Sanitary protection of the vines is carried out in close collaboration with technical advisors from wine-growing professional bodies. Our vineyard plots are monitored by professionals throughout the year, in order to allow any necessary measures to be taken under the best possible conditions. The vines are pruned and trained according to the Single Guyot method, which optimises the sturdiness of the vine stock. The buds are rigorously pruned in the spring, leaving only the finest buds. This is also the moment for the removal of the “suckers” – vine branches that draw upon the vine sap without making any contribution to the quality of the grapes. The vines are trained up to 1.35 metres in height and cut, in order to ensure maximum sunlight in the rows. “Green harvesting” is practiced on a case-by-case basis.

From wine to the bottle

All of the domaine’s 12 hectares of vines have been harvested by hand for many years, by a dedicated team of grape-pickers, trained to meet Joël Remy’s high standards. The grapes are harvested using 13-kilo crates and weighed, in order to monitor vat productivity levels. The raisins pass through a vibratory sorting table and are then stemmed, without crushing, before being placed in vats or in the wine press. Red wine vinification: The grape harvest is completely and systematically stemmed. The raisins placed in vats are cooled (8 to 10 °C) for 5 to 8 days in order to encourage extraction of the colour. The temperature is progressively increased up to 16 °C, setting off the fermentation. The sugar is transformed into alcohol by natural yeasts. Various operations – cap-punching, pumping-over, temperature control and chaptalisation – are carried out during this fermentation, which lasts from 12 to 14 days. After removal from the vats, the wines are gently and slowly pressed and left to settle for a few days, before going into casks. White wine vinification: The grape harvest is sorted and pressed. Pressing of the grapes is carried out in a gentle and progressive manner. After extraction of the must, the wine is immediately cooled and allowed to settle for 48 hours before being put in casks. The fermentation, with natural yeasts, lasts for 8 to 12 weeks. Temperature control, stirring of the lees, ventilation and chaptalisation are carried out during the vinification process.

Maturation and Bottling

Maturation Every Year, in close collaboration with the Tonnellerie Gillet cooperage, Joël Remy selects the best pieces of wood on his estate for producing the cask staves and carries out the toasting on the premises. These new casks, carefully made according to the domaine’s specifications, are added to the previous year’s production in a percentage of 5 to 15% according to the vintage, in order to ‘bring up’ the wines according to the principles of excellence. Maturation on the lees lasts for about one year, during which malolactic fermentation takes place. The domaine Joël Remy applies all means for the production of great wines. The white wines are racked in order to eliminate the fine lees and carbon dioxide, and then fined in order to encourage their expression. All of the domaine’s wines are supervised in the maturation process by an oenological laboratory, in order to ensure their optimal development. Bottling Before this operation, the white wines are fined, filtered and cooled, to ensure tartaric stabilisation if necessary. The red wines, after racking and mixing, are stored in watertight vats. According to the turbidity, lenticular filtration is carried out on the whole of the wines. The wines are bottled on the domaine. The bottles are filled by negative pressure, nitrogen-levelled and vacuum corked.