Winemaker Notes
Bright, pale gold. The nose is bursting with notes of fresh fruit, white peach and citrus with a delicate touch of fresh hazelnut. The palate is lively, full, and balanced. Long and refreshing, this is a superb Burgundy. Situated in the commune of St. Aubin, this single monopole vineyard lies on a south-south-west facing hillside, very near the Chateau's plot "En Vesvau". This predominantly limestone area consists of light clay and sand on top of a limestone fault; the Chardonnay benefits from perfect drainage conditions, resulting in the production of elegant white wines. Most of the fruit was hand harvested. The wine was aged on its lees (30% in oak barrels and 70% in oak casks) before being bottled.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
A classic source of exceptional Chardonnay as well as Pinot Noir, the Côte de Beaune makes up the southern half of the Côte d’Or. Its principal wine-producing villages are Pernand-Vergelesses, Aloxe-Corton, Beaune, Pommard, Volnay, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet.
The area is named for its own important town of Beaune, which is essentially the center of the Burgundy wine business and where many negociants center their work. Hospices de Beaune, the annual wine auction, is based here as well.