Chèrouche is a blend of Gamay and Pinot Noir from old, high-density, gobelet-trained vines at 800m on schist-limestone, loess and a little quartz. Three terraces, three levels, planted almost straight on the rocks, just below the forest line. It was a difficult vintage with an earlier harvest than usual, but this parcel is high enough, dry enough and airy enough not to suffer much from mould. The extra water in the vintage was actually welcome here.

Destemmed by hand and gently infused, with the cap kept wet by hand every day for 30 days. Pressed in the Vaslin, then aged for 11 months in old barriques. Bottled by gravity by hand, siphoned from the top. More structured than his other wines, with bright red fruit, white pepper, chlorophyll-like herbs and a more serious frame. Small red fruits rather than black, think groseille and griotte, not myrtille. Pinot gives the wine more concentration and shape.