Santenay Maladiere Prieur-Brunet 1992

La Maladièreis a Premier Cru vineyard at the heart of the Santenay appellation in the southern Côte de Beaune. It is located immediately north of Santenay village, and shares a similar aspect with its eastern neighbor on the same slope: Beaurepaire. La Maladière is planted mainly to Pinot Noir (with a little Chardonnay), making richly-flavored, muscular red wines.

The vineyard covers 13 hectares (32 acres) on the steep, south-facing slope of the Côte d’Or that rises above the streets and houses of Santenay itself. It is one of only 11 Premier Cru vineyards associated with the Santenay appellation, although it is relatively isolated – most of Santenay’s Premier Crus are in the northern part of the commune.

La Maladière has limestone soils, made up of pebbles over a Bajocian marl. As Santenay lies on a part of the Côte d’Or that curves around to the west, the steep vineyard faces toward the south rather than the south-east (as much of the rest of Burgundy).

Sunlight is abundant here, giving the grapes plenty of time to ripen and develop rich flavor. This, combined with the mineral quality of the soil, tends to give a concentrated, if somewhat tannic, wine.

La Maladière’s curious name comes from the ruins of a medieval hospital nearby – a “maladière” comes from a similar root to the English word malady.