Alain Gras : Auxey-Duresses Village "Les Crais" 2024

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for Alain Gras's Auxey-Duresses Village "Les Crais" 2024

Tasting

Appearance
This white wine displays a pale yellow hue, crystal-clear and brilliant, with light golden highlights.

Nose
The aromatic bouquet opens with delicate notes of white flowers and citrus fruit. It then gains depth with hints of toasted brioche, walnut and an elegant oaky backdrop.

Palate
The palate strikes a fine balance between a rich, unctuous texture and pleasant freshness. Racy and remarkably refined, it is carried by a pervasive chalky minerality that stretches into a long, saline finish.

Food and Wine Pairings

Ideal alongside refined dishes, this wine pairs perfectly with poultry in a cream sauce, baked fish or fish in sauce, as well as shellfish. It also enhances white meats and a fine selection of soft or full-flavoured cheeses.

Serving and Ageing

To fully appreciate the Auxey-Duresses Village "Les Crais" 2024, it is best served at around 12°C. This wine can be enjoyed now, but will continue to improve, reaching its peak between 2026 and 2032, with ageing potential extending to around 2034.

The Elegance and Minerality of a Burgundy Wine Crafted by Alain Gras

The Estate

Founded in 1979 by Alain Gras, the eponymous estate is located in Saint-Romain, a picturesque hilltop village in the Burgundy region. Today, the estate is run jointly by Alain Gras and his son Arthur, who carry on a long-standing family tradition of expertise. The vineyard covers around 15 hectares spread across high-quality terroirs. Staunch champions of their appellation, the owners are committed to producing wines renowned for their freshness, minerality and elegance, establishing the estate as a benchmark of the Côte de Beaune.

The Vineyard

The plot from which this wine comes lies within the Auxey-Duresses appellation. The vines, around forty years old, thrive on deep soils of clay, limestone and limestone marl. The vineyard is managed according to the principles of integrated pest management and sustainable viticulture. To ensure optimal quality and good concentration in the grapes, green harvesting is carried out, followed by an exclusively manual harvest.

Vinification and Ageing

The making of the Auxey-Duresses Village "Les Crais" 2024 begins with automatic, controlled pressing to preserve the delicacy of the berries. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentations take place in oak barrels under strict temperature control. The wine is then aged for twelve months in the same barrels, including a measured proportion of around 30% new oak, to give it structure while respecting the identity of its terroir.

Grape Variety

100% Chardonnay.