georges descombes maceration orange 2017

"georges descombes is classically from a family of winegrowers for several generations. however, he was more interested in mechanics and was the only one willing to look after the family vineyards. after attending viticulture school, he signed his first cuvée in 1987 from parcels of brouilly, inherited from his grandmother. this did not prevent him from continuing to work part-time in a bottling company and, as if that were not enough, to work two days a week for other winegrowers in the area. it was not until 1993 that georges descombes devoted himself totally to his estate, which today covers 17 hectares: about seven in morgon and the rest, in decreasing order, in brouilly, régnié, chiroubles, beaujolais-villages and beaujolais. even in his early days, georges descombes was never a winegrower who was very familiar with chemical treatment. for more than ten years now, he has been working his vines according to organic principles, using weedkillers only in very steep plots that are impossible to plough. since the beginning, most of his vines have been ploughed, fermentation is started by indigenous yeasts, and the vinification is done without sulphur in concrete, stainless steel and epoxy vats, with full carbonic maceration. since 1993, the harvest has been cooled in order to obtain gentler and longer vinifications, as is the practice at the domaine jean foillard. the georges descombes estate is one of the most famous in the production of ""natural"" beaujolais. since 1988, when he took over the estate, this winemaker has cultivated a low-interventionist style and offers wines with great purity that accurately reflect the dimension of the beaujolais crus and terroirs. matured for six months in barrels, the bunches of this chardonnay macerated for about ten days with the skins. the result of a first attempt at an orange wine by georges descombes, this wine offers an explosive and complex aromatic bouquet evolving towards notes of spices and citrus fruits. thanks to the volatile acidity, it benefits from a great structure leaving the mouth full and tight. we recommend that you pair this amazing wine with dishes of character such as a comté cheese matured for 36 months, smoked herring or a capon stuffed with chanterelles. these particularly salty dishes will then enhance the fruity character of the macerated wine."