An Amphitheatre of Hillsides near Auxerre
About fifteen kilometres south-east of Auxerre, in the Auxerrois, Irancy spreads its vines across three communes, in a basin of hillsides forming a south-facing amphitheatre. It is one of the rare exclusively red appellations in the Yonne, just a short distance from Chablis. Whites and rosés produced in the same area fall instead under the regional Bourgogne appellation.
The Terroir and César
The clay-limestone soils — limestone, marl and clay — under a temperate climate with a slight continental tendency, give pinot noir well-exposed hillsides (Palotte, Les Mazelots, Les Cailles, among others) that favour the ripeness so precious at this latitude. Irancy's great distinctiveness is césar: this ancient grape variety, optional and permitted up to 10% of the blend, adds colour, tannin and a rustic, traditional character that some winegrowers jealously preserve.
The Style of the Wines
Irancy is a powerful, deeply coloured red with good ageing potential, its tannins present but moderate, carried by fine liveliness. It unfolds aromas of morello cherry, blackcurrant, cherry and spice. It can be enjoyed from three or four years, but ages effortlessly for ten to twenty years — and much longer for the most traditional cuvées, rich in césar. A northern pinot noir, best served around 16–17°C.