La Haute Ronzé 2019

La Haute Ronze is a lieu-dit in the Régnié appellation, sitting close to the border with Morgon in the north of the cru. What sets this parcel apart from Nicolas Chemarin’s lighter cuvées is the soil — here the sandy pink granite gives way to deeper, clay-rich earth that produces a more structured, more complex style of Gamay. At 400 metres altitude, the vines produce small yields of concentrated fruit that Nicolas puts through around 20 days of maceration before splitting the wine between temperature-controlled concrete vats and old oak barrels for an extended ageing. The result is a wine with lovely bright cherry and raspberry fruit, a firm but fine structure, elegant spice, and a persistent acid line. Close in spirit to a well-made Morgon, La Haute Ronze rewards patience — it will drink beautifully now but will only improve over the next 3–5 years.