AŸ Vauzelle Terme

Halfway up a south facing hillside within the Grand Cru of Ay, Jacquesson owns a parcel of Pinot Noir vines, planted in 1980 and three-quarters of an acre in size, in the lieu-dit of Vauzelle Terme. The soil, predominantly calcareous but with some clay content, has mainly been formed from layers of alluvial deposits rich in burrstone pebbles. The chalky bedrock below this is composed of small blocks of Campanian chalk that in places have fused together. A well drained site, the lieu-dit of Vauzelle Terme nevertheless retains a good level of moisture in the soil and its orientation is ideal for achieving optimum hours of sunshine.

The climatic conditions in 1996 were marked by a rapid succession of highly contrasting weather patterns. Severe winter frosts, reaching close to -20°C in February, were followed by a grey, cold month of March, record high temperatures and sunshine hours in April, frosts and hailstorms in May, giving way to excellent weather in early June to start the flowering which finished after a brutal cold snap that ran from the 19th onwards. The months of July and August witnessed repeated bouts of fine weather, thunderstorms and hot and humid weather, all propitious to the development of botrytis, mildew and other diseases. Fortunately a persistent wind came to rescue the meticulous efforts of our vineyard team by preventing this humidity from lingering, thereby allowing the grapes to grow under good conditions. The same north wind dried the grapes during the mid-September rains with the result that the sugar content of the berries increased in a spectacular manner. Picking took place on 25th September in sunshine. Such an atypical year could only produce atypical must: the balance between alcohol and acidity was without precedent, combining 11 degress of potential alcohol with an acid reading of 9.9 gr/l.

The must was vinified in three demi-muids (600 litre casks) and only briefly racked after the alcoholic and malolactic fermentations. The resulting fine lees underwent regular lees stirring for three months and the wine was naturally clarified using the late winter cold. When tasted, the vin clair lived up to our greatest expectations: its round, ample, full-bodied character was well supported by a marked acidity in the finish that heralded an exceptional aging potential. Laurent Chiquet decided to use one of the demi-muids to enhance the assemblage of Grand Vin Signature whereas the two others were blended together and bottled without filtration on 7th July 1997 to produce 1,290 bottles and 100 magnums of Ay Grand Cru Vauzelle Terme 1996.

Disgorged on 28th January, 2004 with a dosage of 3.5 gr/l, the wine today shows the clear aromatic definition, the power and the freshness achievable from a great terroir in a great vintage. On the nose, great ripeness aromas of gingerbread and red berry dominate while on the palate it has great depth, body and, above all, a complexity accentuated by notes of dried fruits and spices, carrying through to a vibrant finish of exemplary purity and immense length.