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Château de Marsannay Winery Guide

Winery Overview

Under Olivier Halley’s direction and the winemaking mastery of Cyril Chirouze, Château de Marsannay (a large producer (by Burgundian standards) makes red and white Burgundy of the highest order. Château de Marsannay is also renowned for producing some of France’s finest, most succulent rosés. Rosé in Burgundy, you cry! Marsannay is unique in the region as it produces all three colors of wine and is the only rosé appellation in the entire Côte-d’Or. Wine critics speak of Marsannay rosé as a rival to Provence’s supremacy; at its best, it offers a sublimely refreshing, racy, and delightfully fruity drink – pure bliss on a warm summer afternoon. But the Marsannay rosé is merely the beginning of this beautiful estate’s offering – the Halley family owns vineyards in various appellations across the region, including some prized Grand and Premier Crus. The secret of their success is largely down to Halley’s superb know-how that ensures that the estate obtains the highest possible fruit quality from a diverse range of sources in every vintage and the expert touch of Chirouze.

Château de Marsannay is rightly considered by many as one of the Côte-d’Or’s most picturesque wine estates. Located just south of Dijon, the property spans over 30 hectares and is a major focal point, both in architecture and reputation, for the Marsannay appellation. The building has a long history, most of which is shrouded in mystery. However, we know that the Swiss army destroyed the original Château during the reign of the French King Louis XII in the 16th century. The estate we know today was rebuilt on the original Chateau site at the heart of the Marsannay village. We know little about the property’s fortunes afterward, although the local area has produced wine for over a thousand years. The Château undoubtedly passed through various families’ control until 1990, when it was acquired by the Patriarche group, a historic négociant-éleveur (wine merchant and producer) that produces wine in all the Côte-d’Or’s major sub-regions.

Such a respected name brought much prestige to this major visitor destination. The Boisseaux family invested considerable sums into modernizing the Chateau, including building a state-of-the-art winery in 1990. The family kept control of Château de Marsannay until 2012 when it was sold to Olivier Halley. Thankfully, Halley maintained the high standards, continued investment, and hard work of Patriarche, and now the wines are in great demand worldwide. Remarkably considering the great diversity of vineyard sources, all the wines show a remarkable purity of fruit and perfectly balanced new oak. Unlike some competitors, at Château de Marsannay, new oak never takes on more than a supporting role. The reds all show good color, excellent depth, and plenty of structure, particularly the Premier and Grand Crus. The whites, and indeed the rosés, are charming, elegant, and simply delicious – a great source of superb value Burgundy today.

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Further Reading

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Author

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James lawrence

With a passion for food & drink that verges on the obsessive, wine writer James Lawrence has traveled the world in search of the perfect tipple. To date, nothing has surpassed the 1952 R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Rioja Reserva, tasted in the cobweb-filled cellars with owner María José. Meanwhile, James has been writing for a wide variety of publications for over 12 years, including Telegraph, Decanter, Harpers, The Drinks Business, and Wine Business International. He lives in South Wales and returns to his former university city, Bilbao, as much as possible.

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