Cave Talmard
The story of Cave Talmard is a story of a family history – as far back as the seventeenth century the name of Talmard could already be found mentioned in viticultural records. From generation to generation, successive owners have all played their part in developing expertise and applying a determination to produce the best possible wines of the region.
And so, Talmard have acquired a solid reputation through wine fairs and exhibitions which has never faltered over the decades. In 1997, Paul Talmard handed on the baton to his daughter Mallory and his son-in-law Benjamin, who have successfully taken over from him and now apply the skill and love of the vine that have always been the hallmarks of the work of the Talmard family. The business in Uchizy has flourished in the hands of the couple, with wine production on the now thirty hectare estate having increased from 150,000 to 260,000 bottles annually.
The Talmard vineyards are located in Southern Burgundy in the Maconnais villages of:
- Uchizy (14 hectares)
- Chardonnay (5 hectares)
- Montbellet (7 hectares)
- Farges-lès-Mâcon (4 hectares)
- Tournus (1 hectare)
All of their vineyards are planted with Chardonnay grapes with controlled yields of a maximum of 68 hl/ha. The complexity, minerality and fruit notes of the wines are due to the fact that the vines are planted in 4 different villages, across a range of specific terroirs with unique characteristics, each lending respective qualities to the final wines.
The harvest is a decisive time in the life of the wine estate, and requires an expertise which can only be acquired through long experience. First of all, grape samples are taken in order to test their maturity, and when this has been reached it is time to start harvesting. The greater the maturity, the more concentrated are the wines.
Harvesting is done mechanically at a rate of 2-3 hectares per day. The harvesting machine allows the team great flexibility over the harvesting period. In 2003, for example, when the heat wave was raging, Talmard harvested at night to avoid bringing in warm grapes. The grapes are then transported very quickly to the cellars in stainless steel tipper trucks and tipped into presses to begin pressing, a critical stage which is also decisive and adapted for each harvest.
When making white wines, the must obtained from direct pressing is first of all clarified, and then the fermentation can begin. For this, natural yeasts are preferred, and a slow fermentation can last between two and four months, at a temperature of 10-18°C. After several technical stages such as chilling and filtration, the wines are bottled as soon as possible to allow them to settle before being sold.