Domaine Comte Senard
by
Kathy Sullivan
Summary: Domaine Comte Senard is a winery and vineyard with a restaurant, Table Comte Senard. The walls of the restaurant are decorated with works of art. The wine caves were built from the 13th to the 14th centuries.
History
In 1857, Jules Senard started a vineyard of six hectares. The vineyard was named Corton Clos Des Meix and is a monopole. A monopole refers to a vineyard under exclusive control of one owner. The Corton Clos Des Meix Vineyard continues to be a monopole today; wine made only from grapes from this vineyard have the vineyard’s name and “Grand Cru Monopole” on the bottle labels. Jules was the great grandfather of the current winemaker Lorraine. As the years passed, more vineyards were acquired in other appellations.
Vineyards
Domaine Comte Senard has nine hectares of grapevines located mostly in the Grand Cru region. Pinot Beurot (Pinot Gris) is classified as a white grape that is grown here. Vineyards are maintained with sustainable and organic methods. Herbicides and insecticides are not used in the vineyards. Each year grapes are harvested by hand. The grapes are sorted as they are harvested and then again in the winery. Wines are aged in oak for 18 months.
Lunch
We enjoyed lunch and a wine tasting at Domaine Senard. Inside the small, aged building, the restaurant is bright with reddish walls and chairs. Several tables are available for visitors. Wine glasses are Schott Zwiesel. Works of art are displayed on the walls. An adjacent room offers visitors the opportunity to buy wines. Note the colorful slightly curved barrel staves that are attached to a stand. These are available for purchase. After lunch we stepped across a paved courtyard to the wine cellar.
Cellars
After our delicious lunch at the restaurant, Emilie, a sommelier for the restaurant, provided us with a great tour and tasting in the aging cellars. The wines are aged in cellars built by the Benedictine monks from the end of the 13th to the 14th century. A part of the cellar was discovered in 1913. Enjoy walking through the cool, deep caves with curved stone walls, ceilings and arches where monks once trod.
White Wines
Comte Senard Bourgogne 2008 was a dark yellow Chardonnay. The wine offered notes of pear and citrus with a hint of butter. The wine was crisp. Suggested pairings included breads and butter, ham pate, greens, tomato and mustard. Aloxe-Corton 2007 was a Pinot Beurot. This was a yellow wine that offered notes and tastes of yellow stone fruit and was floral. The finish was very crisp. The grape is a rare variety in Bourgogne. The vines were planted more than 80 years ago. The wine was aged in barrels. Oak barrels used include new, year old and two year old.
Red Wines
Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru, Valoziéres was a ruby color Pinot Noir. The aroma and taste were very fruity with cherry notes. The finish was crisp with tannins. Suggested pairings included potatoes au gratin and beef bourgunge. Grand Cru Monopole 2006, Corton Clos Des Neix, was a ruby Pinot Noir. It was slightly darker than the premier cru. The aroma and taste offered notes of cherries and cranberries. The tannins on the finish were almost bold. The crisp wine was fruity. Notes of leather and licorice were also noticed.
Be sure to consider lunch at the Domaine Senard restaurant when visiting the winery. Enjoy walking through the deep caves where monks once walked.
Domaine Senard
1 rue des Chaumes
21420 ALOXE-CORTON, France
0033 380 264 165
GPS: N47º 3’ 55. 4” E 4º 51’ 33.3”
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