"Orchis Mascula (orchids) is part of Claire Naudin’s série “flower”, her experimental range of wines where she does not use SO2, but at bottling if needed. This Pinot comes from 3 plots, En Foigery, En Bully and La Grande Corvée de Bully (Nicolas Faure’s fans should recognize the name!), from vines averaging 30 years-old. On this Jurassic limestone with clay soil, the Pinot in this ripe vintage preserved a remarkable tension typical of the Hautes-Côtes. Hand-harvested, the grapes are vinified whole-cluster with no pump over, free run and press are blended after the two weeks maceration. Sulfur is used usually just at bottling after 18-20 months of aging in 228 liter barrels with a small percentage new. 2017 is a tender, super aromatic, very floral version of this wine, taking you to notes you can find in the cooler part of Volnay. The grapes ripen very fast but never got cooked, so you have a fresh plumminess both on the nose and the palate. Iris (and not orchi) is dominating. A lot of red cherry, coriander seed, rose shows on the palate, with a very well handled oak use, as well as the use of whole-cluster! Tannins are soft but present. A really complex yet too easy-to-drink wine. Enjoy now decanted (because of the CO2 Claire leaves to naturally protect the wine) or over 15 years. Pair with a duck carpaccio, a farm lamb served with green goddess and garden herbs. 100% Pinot Noir. Pascaline Lepeltier. "