Within the 1er Cru Clos Rousseau lie a few rows of vines that were planted in 1914, exactly a hundred and six years ago. Naturally enough, this plot is vinified and bottled separately, it is called 'Les Fourneaux'. Probably the most intense, tightly knit and weighty wines of the house, this will take few years to come around and will peak in few years. What we have now is a wonderful Burgundy, black cherry-scented, generously layered with red and black berries with powerful, long lasting finish. Santenay wines rarely reach such heights.
Christiane Bachey-Legros, has been managing the estate since 1993, and together with her 2 sons, Lénaïc and Samuel, they manage with great passion a domain of 16ha located across the areas of Santenay, Maranges and Chassagne-Montrachet. The estate has been in the family's hands since Christiane’s great-great grand-parents.
The uniqueness of this vineyard lies in the fact that it is one of the oldest of the Southern Côte de Beaune. The vines are on average 55 years old; one is even 80 years old and it produces a very concentrated Santenay 1er Cru from its small, deep black grapes.
Their vineyard consists in 5 large plots each of a surface area of 1.5ha (3.70 acres). The plot of Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot White is the largest and most prestigious, with a surface area of 2ha .
In order to maintain the vineyard and obtain elegant and full-flavoured wines, Christiane and her two sons undertake high-quality viticulture and use a practice of planned disease control. Christiane is responsible for monitoring the ripeness and maturity of the grapes to decide when the grape harvest should begin.
After having overseen the sorting of the grapes in the vineyard, the 2 brothers ensure the grapes are sorted a second time on a vibrating table.The grapes are vinified in the winery equipped with stainless steel vats. The wines mature in oak barrels in their vaulted cellars.