Domaine Rois Mages ‘Les Cailloux’ Rully Blanc 2019

Location: France, Burgundy, Rully

Winemaker: Anne-Sophie & Felix Devabelaere

Grapes: Chardonnay

Soil: Clay, limestone

Winemaking: All harvesting is done by hand. After the juice is very gently pressed from the skins, it is put into stainless steel tanks at a low temperature to allow for a natural settling of the must. The juice is then transferred to barrels (10% new) where it ferments with indigenous yeasts. During the alcoholic and malo-lactic fermentations, the wine is stirred “battonage” every day. The wine then matures in barrels for a year without any stirring or racking. The wine is fined but not filtered before bottling. An average vintage produces 600 cases.

From the Importer Wine Traditions: ‘Rully’ is a dry, crisp wine and shows a lot of of minerality; elegant, fruity and fresh. The palate is round and balanced with flavors of citrus and flint. Generous and perfectly balanced, this wine will be perfect for fishes, frogs, and snails.

Anne-Sophie Debavelaere, of Burgundian roots, began her domaine in 1984 with one hectare of land. Over the years, the estate has expanded and now includes 11 hectares divided among seven ‘climats’. The parcels are mostly in Rully but include small plots in Bouzeron and Beaune. In Rully they have vineyards in four ‘climats’: the 1er Cru ‘Les Pierres’ and the three lieux dits ‘Les Cailloux’, ‘Moulin A Vent’ and ‘Chaponnière’.

In 2014, Anne-Sophie’s son, Felix joined her at the domain. Their vineyards are all worked with respect for the environment. No insecticides or herbacides are used, the ground is plowed but otherwise the use of a tractor is restricted. The winery or ‘cave de vinification’ is a vaulted cellar which was dug from the Rully hillside in 1850. It was originally built by a local négociant who wanted to have a cellar for sparkling wine similar to those in Champagne. Today, it offers Anne-Sophie and Felix a wonderful environment in which to mature their wines.