Tasted with Adrien Desroches in Igé, 22nd April 2015.
Cave des Vignerons d’Igé
41 Rue du Tacot
71960 Igé
Tel: +33 3 85 33 33 56
+33 3 85 33 33 56
www.lesvigneronsdige.com
This co-operative, like many others, was formed in 1927 due to general economic crisis and lack of buyers for grapes. There are 63 producers partnered to the coop, accounting for 260 hectares, normally equating to 17-18,000 hectolitres (1.7-1.8 million litres) of production, overseen by just 6 employees. There are significant bulk sales, but still about 160,000 bottles are commercialised, and much from their little shop. Behind the co-operative there are their vines and also the cemetery!
From the presses, they decant the gross lees. For the small amount of reds, there’s a 5-8 day cool maceration. They make some Crémant here too, like many others they utilise their own gyropaletts, but the disgorging requires in an outside contractor.
Mainly white wine is produced, though at one time gamay was much more important. The coop can stock up to two vintages but given the recent short vintages, not right now! Adrien says that they are looking for freshness and the fruit, so are using more demi-muids, as he believes it makes the wines are more supple…
Adrien on 2013:
“2013 was a complicated vintage and the wines are certainly not candidates for the vintage of the century, but they have turned our very well indeed.”
The wines…
Pricing is €5.70 the lieu-dits and €6.25 for the vieilles vignes – really eye-opening for those who concentrate on the Côte d’Or. Some of these are modest, others are very good…
2013 Mâcon-Igé Château London
All tank elevage. No trace of a chateau, but west-facing vines!
A fresh, not so intense but pretty nose. This has weight in the mouth and here is quite intense – it’s rather angular in its minerality today, but there’s plenty of pleasing, mouth-watering flavour in the finish.
2013 Mâcon-Igé En Thuzot
Not far from Chàteau London but the soil has more clay and is south-facing.
A modest but fresh and fine nose. Here is a much nicer texture and some richness too, but it’s wrapped with nice acidity. Again plenty of flavour interest in the finish. Very good!
From the hillside behind the cave – near the graveyard! – a little later ripening than the last wines – usually one of the latest to be harvested.
Also discreet but with a faint impression of salinity. Here is a nice texture and another level of intensity. It’s just a little mineral and a lot tasty – excellent!
2013 Mâcon-Igé Vieilles-Vignes
Old vines, but here with some barrel fermentation.
Fresh and open on the nose – no obvious oak. Direct, intense and with some richness too – no obvious oak here either, except for the very last impression, at the end of the finish and just a little extra fat to the texture. Very, very good.