Chardonnay Wine

Esprit Leflaive Pouilly-Fuissé Premier Cru Le Clos Reyssier 2020 is an exceptional single-vineyard Chardonnay from Burgundy's renowned Mâconnais region, combining the richness and generosity of southern Burgundy with the elegance, precision, and craftsmanship associated with the legendary Leflaive name.

Sourced from the prestigious Le Clos Reyssier vineyard in the village of Chaintré, at the southern end of Pouilly-Fuissé, this wine comes from an east-facing hillside planted in 1950. The vineyard's clay-limestone soils contribute to the wine's distinctive depth, concentration, and beautifully balanced structure. The 2020 vintage marks the vineyard's elevation to Premier Cru classification, recognizing the exceptional quality of this distinctive terroir.

The wine opens with an inviting bouquet of ripe yellow peach, honey, lemon zest, and delicate floral notes, complemented by subtle hints of butterscotch, toasted almonds, and crushed stone. On the palate, it is rich, generous, and beautifully textured, offering layers of orchard fruit, citrus, and gentle spice. Vibrant acidity provides freshness and definition, balancing the wine's impressive concentration and luxurious mouthfeel.

Carefully vinified with traditional Burgundian techniques, the wine undergoes fermentation in oak barrels, followed by 12 months of aging in oak, including 15% new barrels, and an additional six months in stainless steel. This thoughtful approach enhances complexity while preserving the purity of the Chardonnay fruit.

The result is an elegant yet powerful Premier Cru Burgundy, with remarkable depth, refined texture, and a long, harmonious finish. Esprit Leflaive Le Clos Reyssier 2020 beautifully demonstrates the exceptional potential of Pouilly-Fuissé's finest vineyards.

Expert Rating

93 Points Wine Spectator: "An opulent style, revealing honey, butterscotch, peach, lemon and stone aromas and flavors. Though rich, this white is focused by vivid acidity, which keeps everything balanced and long on the resonant finish." — Bruce Sanderson, 2024

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Bright golden yellow with delicate reflections.

Aroma: Ripe yellow peach, honey, lemon zest, yellow flowers, toasted almonds, butterscotch, and subtle mineral notes.

Palate: Rich, concentrated, and beautifully textured, with generous stone fruit, citrus, delicate spice, and refreshing acidity. Subtle oak influence contributes additional depth without overwhelming the fruit.

Finish: Long, elegant, and harmonious, with lingering peach, toasted almond, and mineral nuances.

Food Pairing

An outstanding companion to butter-poached lobster, seared scallops, roasted turbot, Dover sole, and creamy seafood preparations. Its generous texture and lively acidity also pair beautifully with roast chicken, veal in a delicate cream sauce, mushroom risotto, and aged Comté cheese.

Serving Temperature: 50–54°F (10–12°C).

Cellaring Potential: Wine Spectator recommends drinking through 2028, while Corney & Barrow suggests 2025–2029. The wine can be enjoyed now for its expressive fruit and refined complexity.

Domaine Leflaive Esprit Chablis 1er Cru Les “Fourchaume” 2022 · Chablis, Burgundy, France

Producer Description

Located on the right bank of the Serein River, Fourchaume enjoys a privileged position near the celebrated Chablis Grand Cru vineyards. Its limestone-rich Kimmeridgian soils impart the distinctive mineral character, freshness, and complexity that define the finest wines of Chablis.

The Esprit Leflaive approach to winemaking emphasizes texture, precision, and the authentic expression of each vineyard. The producer’s Fourchaume cuvée is known for its balance of lively acidity, generous mouthfeel, and distinctive iodine-like mineral character.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Brilliant pale gold with subtle green reflections.

Aroma: Fresh lemon zest, green apple, ripe pear, white blossoms, wet stone, and delicate saline notes.

Palate: Elegant and beautifully textured, with lively acidity, concentrated citrus and orchard fruit, and a distinctive chalky mineral character.

Finish: Long, precise, and refreshing, with lingering citrus, subtle iodine notes, and saline minerality.

Food Pairing

An excellent companion to fresh oysters, seared scallops, lobster, grilled sea bass, Dover sole, and delicate shellfish preparations. Its vibrant acidity and mineral precision also complement sushi, roasted poultry, creamy seafood risotto, and fresh goat cheese.

Serving Temperature: Approximately 50–54°F (10–12°C). Cellaring Potential: Enjoyable young for its freshness and mineral character, with the structure to develop additional complexity over several years.

Details

• Bottle Size: 750ml
• Region: Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume, Burgundy, France
• Grape: Chardonnay
• Type: White

Esprit Leflaive Bourgogne Blanc 2023 is a beautifully refined expression of Chardonnay from Burgundy's prestigious Côte de Beaune, offering the elegance, purity, and precision associated with the renowned Leflaive name.

Produced from carefully selected, biodynamically farmed vineyards in Puligny-Montrachet, this exceptional regional Burgundy showcases the character of one of France's most celebrated white wine villages. The grapes originate from five small vineyard parcels situated toward Chassagne-Montrachet, where limestone-rich terroir contributes freshness, structure, and mineral complexity.

The 2023 vintage opens with an inviting bouquet of bright lemon zest, white flowers, fresh green apple, and delicate herbal nuances. On the palate, the wine is graceful and beautifully balanced, combining lively acidity with a silky, supple texture. Layers of citrus, orchard fruit, and lemon curd unfold with subtle richness, while a fine mineral backbone provides definition and freshness.

Aged for 12 months in oak barrels, including just 10% new oak, followed by six months in stainless steel, the wine achieves a harmonious balance between delicate texture and vibrant fruit expression.

Elegant, expressive, and wonderfully approachable, Esprit Leflaive Bourgogne Blanc 2023 offers a compelling introduction to the distinctive craftsmanship and refined style of Leflaive's white Burgundies.

Winemaker Notes

Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru 2023 represents the pinnacle of white Burgundy, showcasing the extraordinary elegance, precision, and complexity that have made Domaine Leflaive one of the world's most celebrated Chardonnay producers.

Produced from biodynamically cultivated vineyards in the prestigious Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru appellation of Puligny-Montrachet, this exceptional wine reflects the distinctive limestone-rich soils and elevated vineyard position that contribute to its remarkable minerality and finesse.

The 2023 vintage reveals an exquisite aromatic bouquet of white flowers, fresh orchard fruits, lemon zest, ripe peach, and delicate honey, complemented by toasted hazelnuts and crushed limestone. On the palate, the wine is beautifully concentrated yet remarkably refined, offering a silky texture, vibrant acidity, and layers of citrus, stone fruit, and subtle spice.

Its impressive depth is balanced by extraordinary freshness and mineral tension, culminating in a long, elegant finish with lingering chalky and saline nuances.

A magnificent expression of Chevalier-Montrachet, this Grand Cru combines power with exceptional delicacy and promises decades of graceful evolution in the cellar.

Expert Ratings

97 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: Leflaive's 2023 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru is a great success, unwinding in the glass with a nuanced bouquet of white flowers, crisp orchard fruit, clear honey, toasted hazelnuts and wet stones. Full-bodied, satiny and suave, it's pure and racy, with compelling mid-palate amplitude, beautiful textural refinement and a long, chalky finish. Its ethereal, elegant style makes it a study in contrasts with the muscular, powerful Bâtard.

97 Wine Spectator: Peach, pineapple, lemon oil, citronella, lime blossom, hazelnut, white pepper and oyster shell aromas and flavors are among the complex details in this intense white. Tightens up while building to the superlong aftertaste, all the while remaining elegant and classy. Shows impressive harmony and length.

96 Vinous: The 2023 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru has a tightly wound bouquet despite my giving it five to ten minutes to open up. With hints of sunflower seed and crushed limestone, this is a real clenched fist aromatically. The palate is very well balanced with intense yellow and white fruit, less minerally than the Bâtard perhaps with just a hint of wild honey on the finish. It is a lovely wine…but could this be a year where Bâtard takes the glory?

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Brilliant pale gold with delicate green reflections.

Aroma: White blossoms, fresh pear, crisp apple, lemon zest, ripe peach, honey, toasted hazelnut, and crushed limestone.

Palate: Rich and beautifully textured, with vibrant acidity, concentrated orchard fruit, citrus, subtle spice, and pronounced mineral character.

Finish: Exceptionally long, precise, and elegant, with lingering chalky minerality and refreshing citrus notes.

Food Pairing

An outstanding companion to lobster, seared scallops, turbot, Dover sole, roasted poultry, and delicate cream-based dishes. Its mineral intensity and refined structure also complement truffle preparations and aged Comté cheese.

Cellaring Potential: Excellent aging potential. Wine Advocate suggests a drinking window of 2030–2050, while Wine Spectator recommends 2028–2038.

Entirely located in the town of Puligny, this Grand Cru was first mentioned back in 1397 when the abbey of Maizière purchased some of it. Old records mentioned that this plot might have been planted with gamay and pinot noir a few hundred years ago. When Dr. Lavalle published his classification of Bourgogne back in 1855, the climat was already planted to Chardonnay.  The 2023 vintage was generous in quantity and balanced in quality, following the excellent 2022. A mild, dry winter was followed by a cool, wet spring that helped recharge water reserves. 

An exceptional white Burgundy from Domaine Leflaive, the 2023 Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru showcases the elegance, precision, and extraordinary complexity of one of Burgundy’s most prestigious vineyard sites. Crafted from Chardonnay grown in Puligny-Montrachet, this remarkable Grand Cru combines refined opulence, silky texture, vibrant acidity, and captivating minerality, delivering a beautifully balanced wine with impressive depth and aging potential.

Expert Ratings

96 Points – Wine Spectator: A ripe white, this exudes peach, pineapple, mango, and apple tart aromas and flavors. Toasted brioche and a range of baking spice notes emerge as this expands on the kaleidoscopic aftertaste. Starts out broad but gains focus and finesse on the aftertaste. Best from 2027 through 2037.

95 Points – Vinous: The 2023 Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru has a stern, backward, petrichor- and limestone-scented bouquet that is quite Zen-like after the range of Premier Crus. The palate is fresh and vibrant with a silver bead of acidity, gaining weight in the mouth and very saline on the finish, with hints of orange zest on the aftertaste. Excellent.

95 Points – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate: The 2023 Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru is a full-bodied, dense, and ample wine evocative of peach, orange oil, honeycomb, buttered toast, and white flowers. Structured and imposing, it combines generous richness with remarkable depth and complexity, promising to reward bottle aging.

93–95 Points – Burghound: Sourced from the Domaine’s oldest vines, this outstanding Grand Cru offers beautifully textured, concentrated, and full-bodied flavors with focused power. A pronounced bitter-lemon character carries through to an exceptionally long finish, highlighting the wine’s impressive structure, intensity, and potential for extended aging.

92-94 Prominent honeysuckle aromas add a touch of breadth to the equally ripe yet somehow more elegant nose of spicy and exotic jasmine tea and gardenia. There is again very good detail and a highly appealing underlying tension to the gorgeously textured flavors that exhibit focused power on the superbly long, balanced and compact finale. This is also built to age a decade or more but in this case, it could reasonably be approached after only 4 to 5 years.  

Vintage 2024 also available - Text Us at 212-724-6767 for special offer price.

Rich yet exquisitely refined, the wine opens with aromas of white flowers, ripe peach, pear, orange zest, and delicate pastry, complemented by crushed limestone and subtle earthy nuances. The palate is silky and concentrated, balancing generous stone-fruit flavors with bright acidity and a distinctive saline minerality. Layers of honeycomb, toasted brioche, and gentle spice lead to a long, harmonious finish of remarkable finesse. A magnificent expression of Grand Cru Chardonnay, offering both immediate sophistication and outstanding potential for graceful evolution in the cellar.

An exceptional white Burgundy from one of the region’s most celebrated producers, the 2023 Domaine Leflaive Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru combines extraordinary concentration, refined elegance, vibrant acidity, and profound mineral complexity. Crafted from Chardonnay grapes in the Côte de Beaune, this prestigious Grand Cru is a powerful yet beautifully balanced wine with remarkable aging potential.

Expert Ratings

98 Points – Vinous: The 2023 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru has a little more intensity on the nose than the Bienvenue, with touches of struck flint, cold stone, and light Granny Smith apple scents that are tightly coiled and unfold with aeration. The palate is crisp and taut, much more mineral-driven than the Bienvenue, with a truly complex and persistent finish that is a joy to behold. This riveted me to the spot and is one of the finest expressions of this holding that I have encountered in over 25 years of tasting at Leflaive.

98 Points – Wine Spectator: Taut and intense, featuring lime blossom, citronella, oyster shell, hazelnut, vanilla, and pastry aromas and flavors, this white is driven by its laser-like acidity. Balanced, with a seemingly endless finish that echoes the complex flavors and leaves you wanting more.

96 Points – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate: Notes of orange oil, pear, and peach mingle with hints of nutmeg, clear honey, and buttered toast, introducing Leflaive’s 2023 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru. Full-bodied, dense, and blocky, it is broad-shouldered and multidimensional, with an unctuous attack, a deep mid-palate, and a broad, expansive finish.

Rich and powerful yet remarkably refined, with aromas of ripe pear, white peach, citrus zest, and delicate white flowers, layered with toasted hazelnut, subtle spice, and crushed limestone. The palate is full-bodied and beautifully textured, balancing luscious orchard fruit with vibrant acidity and profound mineral complexity. A long, elegant finish reveals hints of citrus, saline freshness, and finely integrated oak. A magnificent expression of Grand Cru Chardonnay with outstanding aging potential.

Hendry · Unoaked Chardonnay · Napa Valley · 2024

Hendry Unoaked Chardonnay 2024 highlights the purity of the estate's old-vine Chardonnay fruit. Pale straw in color, it brings green and pink apple aromas together with stone fruit, followed by a light-bodied palate of tangy apple and citrus. Freshness and balance carry through a surprisingly long, lemony finish.

The Hendry family ranch sits at the foot of Mt. Veeder in the rolling hills northwest of the town of Napa. Its 114 acres of vines experience substantial marine influence, and Hendry makes its wines exclusively from estate grapes. The family's connection to the ranch began in 1939, when George W. and Margaret Hendry made it their home.

Winemaker Description

Hendry: This unassuming, unadorned wine always highlights the beauty and purity of our old-vine Chardonnay fruit. Pale straw color. Aromas of green and pink apples, stone fruits. Light-bodied, with pleasing flavors of tangy apple and citrus. Fresh and vibrant, with green apple and lemony acidity in the surprisingly long finish. Balanced palate. Keep it light when pairing with this wine. Try grilled chicken breasts, lemony hummus or guacamole with chips, mozzarella with prosciutto and summer fruit, and other light, bright foods--or just sip all by itself! Drink now through at least 2028.

Estate Philosophy

Hendry: We believe in good wine at a fair price. In growing good grapes, and keeping the winemaking simple. We’ve remained true to our roots, doing our best to honor the hard work of George W. and Margaret Hendry, who first made this ranch their home in 1939.

You'll find our family ranch tucked at the foot of Mt. Veeder, in the low, rolling hills just northwest of the town of Napa. It includes 114 acres of vines. We experience substantial marine influence, allowing us to grow many different types of wine grapes. All Hendry wines are made only from our estate grapes, and are crafted to highlight the unique soil and climate of this very special place.

Estate Recognition

Hendry's estate materials highlight inclusion in Wine Spectator's Ultimate Travel Guide to Napa Valley 2026 and San Francisco Chronicle Top Wineries recognition for six consecutive years, 2021–2026.

San Francisco Chronicle · Estate Commentary: This unassuming family-run estate is one of Napa’s best-kept secrets. The staff here is among the most knowledgeable of any tasting room in Napa Valley, and the guided tastings on the front porch of the farmhouse-like winery strike the perfect balance of casual and informative.

Sommelier Kelli White · Napa Valley Then and Now · Estate Commentary: Straightforward, delicious, and priced with an eye toward value, the Hendry wines offer an unpretentious counterpoint to an increasingly precious Napa Valley. The operation remains firmly in family hands, and the already impressive quality seems to improve with each passing year.

Food Pairings & Serving

Serve chilled with grilled chicken breasts, lemony hummus or guacamole with chips. Mozzarella with prosciutto and summer fruit is another producer-recommended match. Keep the menu light and bright, or enjoy a glass on its own.

Wine Details

• Producer: Hendry
• Vintage: 2024
• Appellation: Napa Valley
• Region: California, United States
• Grape: Chardonnay
• Fruit: Estate-grown, old-vine Chardonnay
• Style: Unoaked, light-bodied white wine
• Bottle size: 750ml
• Producer's drinking guidance: Now through at least 2028

Estate-grown Napa Chardonnay with apple-and-citrus freshness, without the oak.

Terrazas de los Andes · Uco Valley, Mendoza · Chardonnay Reserva 2025

Terrazas de los Andes Chardonnay Reserva comes from El Peral and Gualtallary in Argentina’s Uco Valley. The producer’s story began more than 30 years ago with a vision to explore the cool, high-altitude terraces of Mendoza and capture a refined expression of the Andes.

Tasting Notes

Fresh apple, pear and lime meet delicate floral and herbal notes in this expressive Chardonnay. A creamy mid-palate is balanced by vibrant acidity, with a persistent, lightly mineral finish that keeps the wine bright and elegant.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2025 

James Suckling, 92 Points (review vintage not specified in the supplied text): Chalky, fresh and expressive on the nose, with lots of sliced apples, limes and a touch of eggshells. Medium-bodied with good acidity and a creamy texture. Elegant and lightly mineral in the fairly long finish. No malolactic fermentation. Drink now. Screw cap.

Vinous Media, 91 Points: The 2025 Chardonnay Reserva, from El Peral and Gualtallary (Uco Valley), opens with a lightly floral profile, showing pear, soft green apple and delicate herbal notes. Fresh and moderately textured, it combines a creamy mid-palate with vibrant acidity that brings energy and lift. It finishes with persistence and intensity of flavor. An engaging Chardonnay with clarity and drive.

Serving & Pairing Suggestions

Serve chilled. Suggested pairings include roast chicken, grilled fish, creamy pasta and mild cheeses, dishes that complement the wine’s fresh acidity and creamy texture.

Wine Details

• Producer: Terrazas de los Andes
• Wine: Chardonnay Reserva
• Vintage: 2025
• Grape: Chardonnay
• Origin: El Peral and Gualtallary, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina
• Bottle size: 750ml
• Closure: Screw cap

A bright, textured Chardonnay that brings the freshness of the Andes to the table.

Tesselaarsdal · Chardonnay · 2022

Tesselaarsdal Chardonnay 2022 is a cool-climate South African white with a silky texture, crisp acidity, and an elegant, lingering finish. White pear and lemon toast bring depth to its medium-bodied palate, balancing rounded richness with refreshing lift.

Producer & Heritage

Tesselaarsdal was founded in 2015 by long-standing Hamilton Russell Vineyards employee Berene Sauls. It is named after the historic Overberg farming hamlet of Tesselaarsdal—not far from the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge wine appellation—where Berene was born, a descendant of the freed slaves who were bequeathed the land of the Tesselaarsdal valley by former Dutch East India Company soldier Johannes Tesselaar’s widow in 1832.

Expert Reviews

James Suckling, 91 Points: Sliced pears, apples, wet stones and pastries on the nose. Medium-bodied, bright and clean, with savory, flinty elements underlining the fresh fruit.

Wine Enthusiast, 91 Points: This lively white hails from high-altitude vineyards in the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, a cool-climate region. It exhibits inviting green and citrus aromas and has an oily texture and energized acidity backing flavors of white peach and linden tea. Bright notes of lime run through the palate.

Wine Spectator, 91 Points: Crisp and appealing, with a lightly chalky texture carrying well-meshed flavors of ripe Gala apple, slivered almond, pickled ginger and stony mineral. Clean-cut finish, with a waft of white blossoms.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 90+ Points: Clean, zesty and citrus-driven, the nose of the 2022 Chardonnay is fresh with hints of oak and plenty of lemon skin and yellow apple. Medium-bodied and with 13% alcohol, the palate is fresh, food-friendly and expressive before ending with a zesty, mineral-driven finish. This little beauty was made with a mix of amphora and oak to bring out and balance dusty minerality with soft, oaky essences. Rating: 90+

Producer Notes · Historical Estate Background

The following producer account is preserved from the supplied listing. Its vineyard plans describe the estate’s aspirations at the time of writing, rather than a verified current planting or harvest status.

The Present
Fifteen years after starting my career in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, Anthony Hamilton Russell offered me the wonderful opportunity to join the rest of the Hemel-en-Aarde area as a producer. Today, with the expert assistance of Hamilton Russell Vineyards wine maker, Emul Ross and the Hamilton Russell Vineyards team, I wholly own Tesselaarsdal Wines.

Grape purchases are secured with Babylon Vineyards, Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge (unirrigated vineyards)—until Tesselaarsdal’s vineyards is secured and ready for harvest. I will focus production on Pinot Noir as our climate and soil type is best suited for this cultivar.

The Future
The Tesselaarsdal Wines dream is to create wines from its own vineyards in Tesselaarsdal, Overberg. In 2019 we acquired 16 hectares which will be planted with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Tasting Notes

Subtle white pear and lemon toast notes meet a silky, medium-bodied palate. Rounded richness is balanced by crisp acidity, with an elegant finish that lingers. For wine lovers seeking freshness alongside texture, this 2022 Chardonnay offers an appealing balance of both.

Serving & Pairing Suggestions

Serve chilled with grilled fish, roast chicken, or creamy mushroom pasta, or share a bottle over an unhurried dinner.

Wine Details

• Producer: Tesselaarsdal
• Founder: Berene Sauls
• Grape: Chardonnay
• Vintage: 2022
• Region: Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge
• Country: South Africa
• Bottle size: 750ml
• Style: Cool-climate, medium-bodied white

Butter Light Chardonnay · JaM Cellars · California

Discover Butter Light Chardonnay, a lower-alcohol California white wine from JaM Cellars. This creamy Chardonnay combines bright citrus flavors with buttery richness, offering a lighter take on the familiar Butter Chardonnay style.

Tasting Notes

Tangy lemon mousse and vanilla shortbread notes lead the palate, complemented by hints of peach and apple. A smooth, creamy texture and refreshing finish make this California Chardonnay a flavorful choice for fans of buttery white wines.

Food Pairings

Pair Butter Light Chardonnay with lemon-butter shrimp, grilled white fish, herb-roasted chicken, or mushroom risotto. Its creamy character also complements brie and mild gouda.

Wine Details

• Producer: JaM Cellars
• Wine: Butter Light Chardonnay
• Grape: Chardonnay
• Region: California, United States
• Alcohol: 8.5% ABV
• Calories: 85 per 5 fl oz serving
• Bottle size: 750ml

Adelsheim · Chardonnay 2023 · Willamette Valley, Oregon · 750ml

Adelsheim Chardonnay offers an introduction to the winery’s style and the cool-climate Chardonnays of the Willamette Valley. The supplied winemaker note highlights yellow apple, Asian pear, cinnamon, and lemon thyme, with a palate that balances vibrancy and plushness.

Vineyards & Character

The supplied vineyard information describes fruit entirely from LIVE certified sustainable vineyards in the north Willamette Valley, with 87% from Adelsheim estate properties. Sites range from 450 to 875 feet in elevation and represent volcanic, sedimentary, and loess soils. The composition is 100% Chardonnay.

Expert Review - Vintage 2023

James Suckling · 92 Points
A subtle and pleasing wine with aromas of ripe pears and white peaches along with some sweet vanilla, caramel and green apples. A clean, easygoing, entry-level wine with bright acidity.

Winemaker Tasting Notes

Gina Hennen · Winemaker
"Wafting notes of yellow apple, Asian pear, crushed cinnamon stick, and lemon thyme rise out of the glass. The palate is pleasantly defined, offering both vibrancy and a delightful plushness. This serves as an excellent introduction to both Adelsheim’s winemaking style and the cool climate Chardonnays of the Willamette Valley at large."

Producer Philosophy

As a founding winery of the Willamette Valley we believe it is our duty to be steadfast stewards of this abundant land and to rally our community in support of equity and education. We have a responsibility to work with our community of partners to amplify muted voices and cultivate communities of inclusion and representation.

Every member of our organization is committed to treading lightly on the earth and supporting our local economy so that our vineyards, our wines, and our people remain here for generations to come.

This commitment is reflected in the five core pillars that guide everything we do:

Wine Quality: Consistently raising the bar

Over 50 years of winemaking have shaped our commitment to quality. From the famous Steamboat Conference to today, we’ve dedicated ourselves to crafting wines that reflect the unique character of the Chehalem Mountains.

For us, quality is non-negotiable. It begins in the vineyard and continues in the cellar, where tradition meets innovation. With each vintage, we refine our techniques, explore new possibilities, and create wines that are more expressive and exciting than the last.

Every bottle is an invitation to taste the result of our relentless pursuit of excellence.

Serving & Pairing Suggestions

Serve chilled in a white wine glass. Try with roast chicken, grilled fish, scallops, or a creamy vegetable pasta.

Wine Details

• Producer: Adelsheim
• Vintage: 2023
• Composition: 100% Chardonnay
• Appellation: Willamette Valley
• Origin: Oregon, United States
• Vineyards described: LIVE certified sustainable
• Estate fruit listed: 87%
• Bottle size: 750ml
• Supplied review: James Suckling, 92 points

Roagna · Langhe Bianco · 2025

Roagna’s Langhe Bianco offers a white-wine perspective on a family estate rooted in Barbaresco and Castiglione Falletto. This 2025 bottling comes from a producer whose traditional approach has been passed down through generations, with Luca Roagna leading the estate today.

Producer & Terroir

The family’s history reaches back to Vincenzo Roagna in the early twentieth century. Its Piedmont holdings include vineyards in Barbaresco and the Pira estate in Castiglione Falletto, purchased in 1989. The supplied Bianco note describes fruit from Rocche di Castiglione at Cascina Pira and Barbaresco.

Winemaker Description

Supplied Roagna Cuvée Note · Vintage Unconfirmed
10% Nebbiolo vinified as white, 90% Chardonnay. 60% of the grapes come from Rocche di Castiglione (Cascina Pira) and the rest are grown in Barbaresco. This crystalline white is as hard to come by as Luca’s more famous single vineyard Barolos and Barbarescos and we are happy to have a small allotment.

The supplied note does not identify a vintage; its blend and sourcing percentages are retained as cuvée information, not independently confirmed specifications for 2025.

Serving & Pairing

Serve chilled in a white-wine glass. Suggested pairings include simply prepared fish, roast chicken, or vegetable risotto, allowing the wine to take the lead without heavy seasoning.

Details

• Producer: Roagna
• Cuvée: Langhe Bianco
• Origin: Langhe, Piedmont, Italy
• Vintage: 2025
• Type: White wine
• Grapes in supplied cuvée note: Chardonnay and Nebbiolo vinified white
• Bottle size: 750ml

A white-wine introduction to Roagna’s Piedmont heritage.

Winemaker Notes: Fresh and lively, with a dazzling youthful character followed by a broad and appetizing palate of white fruit and acacia honey with subtle pastry and brioche overtones. The finish is long and persistent, revealing a touch of chalky minerality, a signature of the Côte des Blancs, along with hints of grapefruit, blood orange and a delicate salinity.

Expert Ratings

94 Wine Enthusiast: A beautiful Champagne, this citrus and white-fruited wine is tightly textured with a strong mineral character and pure acidity and freshness. The low dosage means it is dry, but the fruit contrasts well with this.

93 Jeb Dunnuck: The 2018 Champagne Blanc De Blancs A/18 Extra Brut is 100% Chardonnay from Chouilly, Cramant, Oger, Mesnil-sur-Oger, Bisieul, and Cuis and spent six years in the cellars. A floral vintage, this wine boasts elegant notes of white peach, pear, fresh pastry, lemon candies, and fresh almond. Approachable and medium-bodied, the palate is more rounded, with a creamy mousse and lasting suggestions of fresh custard on the finish.

93 James Suckling: Lemony and pristine with aspirin-like tension. Light-bodied, showing superzesty tangerine flavors with bright fruit definition and good length. It might lack complexity at the moment but is poised to develop lots of energy, elegance and nerviness.

N° 14 is the third opus from the “COLLECTION AYALA,” a set of cuvees produced in limited quantities, unveiled only as they approach their peak level of drinkability. This ephemeral cuvee is 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir — including Grand Cru Aÿ red wine.

Thanks to its extended ageing in the cellar and a low dosage of 5.3 grams/liter, N° 14 expertise, the ephemeral cuvée N°14 is composed of the five emblematic Grands Crus that form the backbone of the House’s blends. Caroline Latrive wanted to work the crus in equal proportions, exclusively from the 2014 vintage and for the first time in a rosé version.

 Expert Reviews

94 Wine Enthusiast:  "This is the third in an open-ended series of limited-production Champagnes. This new iteration is now beginning its rich maturity, with five Grand Cru villages at its heart. It is a finely textured wine with weight and dryness mitigated by the ripe fruit."—R.V.

93 James Suckling: "Plenty of strawberry character with iron, peaches and hints of chalk. Full-bodied with medium, round tannins and a spicy, cotton-candy and orange-peel aftertaste."

92 Jeb Dunnuck:   "A very different expression, the 2014 Champagne No 14 Brut Rosé is a pale peach hue, with a subtle and attractive perfume of lilac, tangerine, and cantaloupe. It has more racy and compact tension on the palate, with a soft, chalky texture that lifts cleanly. There is nice, snappy energy to this wine, which can be drunk over the next 10 or so years." 

Gary Farrell Olivet Lane Vineyard Chardonnay · 2023

Expressive and balanced, this Russian River Valley Chardonnay pairs vibrant citrus and delicate stone fruit with a supple, creamy texture. Fresh apricot, tangerine and lemon zest mingle with peach, honeysuckle and a quiet pastry note. Bright citrus brings lift to the palate and keeps the richness in check.

Planted in 1975 to Wente-selection Chardonnay, Olivet Lane Vineyard sits on sloping benchland in the Santa Rosa Plain, between the warmer Westside Road area and cooler Green Valley. Warm days, chilly evenings, coastal breezes and fog help preserve acidity, while well-drained loam and clay soils give this site its concentration and finesse. The long, cool 2023 season allowed fruit time to develop flavor without losing freshness.

Expert review · vintage not specified in existing review text

Wine Enthusiast, 91 Points — The nose of this Chardonnay hits with aromas of tart citrus, green apple, white flowers, and a charge of flint. The palate possesses nervy acidity and pithy texture, with flavors of Bosc pear, cinnamon, lemon blossoms, and stemmy herb mélange through the finale. A little time in the cellar will soften this out nicely. — Tom Capo

From our team - David of 67Wine.com

“Perfect for the Burgundy lover who desires a California Chardonnay. Meursault in character. Aged in old barrels. Dry and lean on the palate.”

David of 67 Wine

At the table

Pair with seared scallops, lemon-roasted chicken, grilled shrimp or crab cakes.

At a glance

• Producer: Gary Farrell Vineyards & Winery
• Vintage: 2023
• Grape: Chardonnay
• Vineyard: Olivet Lane
• Appellation: Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California
• Alcohol: 13.6%
• Size: 750ml

A single-vineyard Chardonnay with citrus energy, graceful texture and an introductory offer.

Gary Farrell Rochioli-Allen Vineyard Chardonnay · 2022

Rich yet focused, this Russian River Valley Chardonnay opens with honeysuckle, ripe pear and sliced almond. Stone fruit and a generous texture meet crisp acidity for a finish that keeps its depth in balance with freshness.

The fruit comes from historic blocks near the Russian River, where gravelly soils contribute to the vineyards' character. Most of the blend draws from Rochioli's River Block, planted in 1989, alongside the Mid-40s Block, planted in 1993, and Allen Block 1, planted in 1995. Gary Farrell's relationship with Rochioli began more than four decades ago with a handshake, a partnership reflected in this vineyard-focused bottling.

Expert review · Vintage 2022

Wine Enthusiast, 93 Points — A whisper of flinty reduction dances at the margins along with grilled pineapple, fresh lemon, and Granny Smith apple on the nose of this Chardonnay. The palate features lightning rod acidity framing flavors of nectarine, pithy lemon, candied ginger, and white flowers lingering through a lengthy finish. Tom R. Capo

At the table

Pair with butter-poached lobster, seared scallops, roast chicken with cream sauce or a delicate mushroom risotto.

At a glance

• Producer: Gary Farrell Vineyards & Winery
• Vintage: 2022
• Grape: Chardonnay
• Vineyards: Rochioli and Allen
• Appellation: Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California
• Size: 750ml

A vineyard-driven Chardonnay with richness, lift and an introductory offer.

Kendall-Jackson · Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay · California 2023

This 2023 California Chardonnay from Kendall-Jackson’s Vintner’s Reserve is offered in a 375ml half bottle.

The smaller format suits a modest pour, a tasting alongside other wines, or a table where a full bottle is more than you need.

• Producer: Kendall-Jackson
• Collection: Vintner’s Reserve
• Vintage: 2023
• Region: California, USA
• Varietal: Chardonnay
• Size: 375ml half bottle

A California Chardonnay in a compact format for a smaller pour.

From the Troesmes sub-climat of Chablis Premier Cru Beauroy, this organically farmed wine reflects the limestone-rich terroir of one of Burgundy’s celebrated white wine regions. Located northwest of the village of Chablis, within the communes of Poinchy and Beine, Beauroy encompasses three sub-climats: Beauroy, Côte de Savant, and Troesmes.

The gently sloping vineyards face south to southeast, with shallow topsoil over Kimmeridgian limestone and white clay. Isabelle and Denis Pommier farm organically and work the soils manually. Grapes are harvested into small 15-kilogram cases and pressed immediately.

Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation take place equally in tank and neutral oak barrels of varying ages. The wine then spends 18 months on its lees, with two-thirds aged in tank and one-third in oak.

Vineyard & Winemaking

• Appellation: Chablis Premier Cru
• Vineyard: Troesmes, within the Beauroy climat
• Exposure: South to southeast
• Soils: Kimmeridgian limestone and white clay with shallow topsoil
• Viticulture: Organic farming; soils worked manually
• Fermentation: Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in 50% tank and 50% neutral oak barrels
• Aging: 18 months on the lees in two-thirds tank and one-third oak

Isabelle et Denis Pommier Chablis 1er Cru Troesmes Organic 2023

MAGNUM SIZE: Agrapart · L’Avizoise Grand Cru · Champagne 2019

Grand Cru pedigree. Remarkable depth. Magnificent in magnum.

A magnum of vintage Blanc de Blancs from Avize in Champagne’s Côte des Blancs, L’Avizoise is Agrapart’s expression of the upper hillside, where the estate’s existing producer profile describes more clay over the chalk. This is the powerful side of Avize, framed by the chalky character that defines the village.

The Agrapart family has bottled Champagne under its own name since the domaine’s founding in 1894. Pascal Agrapart helped establish its reputation for site-driven wines; Ambroise joined him in the 2018 vintage. For this 2019 Extra Brut, the 1.5-liter format makes a striking bottle to open around a generous table.

From the existing producer profile

“At the top of the hill where there is more clay, he produces his most powerful wine, ‘L’Avizoise’.”

Powerful, expressive, and beautifully textured, Pascal Agrapart’s Avizoise 2019 showcases the generous side of Grand Cru Chardonnay. Presented in an impressive 1.5-liter magnum—the equivalent of two standard bottles—this vintage Blanc de Blancs brings depth and elegance to a celebratory table or a carefully chosen Champagne collection.

The 2019 combines ripe orchard fruit and citrus with floral nuances, freshly baked bread, and a chalky mineral character. Its concentrated, richly textured palate is enlivened by fine bubbles and vibrant freshness, delivering a Champagne with both presence and finesse.

The Vineyard: Grand Cru Avize

Avizoise comes from the Robarts and Gros Yeux parcels in Avize, a Grand Cru village in Champagne’s Côte des Blancs. These sites share a deep layer of clay-rich topsoil over chalk, a geological profile that contributes to the cuvée’s distinctive density and richness. Made entirely from Chardonnay, Avizoise expresses this terroir in a style that is generous, elegant, and particularly well suited to the dining table.

About Pascal Agrapart

Based in Avize, Pascal Agrapart is a grower-producer working exclusively with estate-grown grapes. Pascal and his son Ambroise tend approximately 12 hectares of vineyards, predominantly planted to Chardonnay in Grand Cru villages of the Côte des Blancs.

The domaine places living soils at the center of its vineyard philosophy. Ploughing and compost made from local ingredients help sustain the health of the vineyards, while careful harvesting and pressing preserve the character of the fruit. The Champagnes are bottled at the estate without fining or filtration and are riddled by hand.

Serving & Food Pairings

Serve in a tulip-shaped Champagne glass or a white wine glass to allow the aromas and texture to unfold. Suggested pairings include butter-poached lobster, seared scallops, roast chicken, turbot with a creamy sauce, or aged Comté. The magnum format makes an especially striking centerpiece for a dinner or celebration.

Wine Details

• Producer: Pascal Agrapart
• Cuvée: Avizoise
• Vintage: 2019
• Region: Champagne, France
• Origin: Avize, Côte des Blancs
• Classification: Grand Cru
• Grape: 100% Chardonnay
• Style: Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut
• Bottle Size: Magnum — 1.5 Liter

Ratings & Reviews

Vinous 97

97The 2019 Brut Nature Blanc de Blancs L’Avizoise Grand Cru is dialed up to the maximum. Ample and broad on the palate, the Avizoise is seriously impressive right out of the gate. So expressive today, the 2019 will only improve over time. Even in the early going, it soars with tremendous textural resonance and body. The natural gravitas of these sites (Champboutons and Bionnes) in Avize comes through loud and clear. The Avizoise is the most dense and potent of these Champagnes from Agrapart. It is bottled with no dosage but does have 3 grams of natural residual sugar. Disgorged: June 2025; multiple disgorgements throughout the year. - By Antonio Galloni on November 2025.

97 James Suckling

Reviewed October 2025

An austere nose of lime zest, chalk and lemon leaves. It needs time in the glass to become gentler, with lemon curd and apple flavors, pinprick bubbles, a medium body and very good concentration that’s typical of the vintage. A restrained wine with zesty, integrated acidity and a super tight-knit texture. Drink or hold.

Wine Advocate 95 Points 

Review Date: 03/2026

Disgorged in October 2025 without dosage, the 2019 Blanc de Blancs Avizoise leaps from the glass with a flamboyant bouquet of orange confit, ripe peach and rose apple, mingled with freshly baked bread. On the palate, it is full-bodied and immensely concentrated, open-knit and muscular, with a rich, textural core of fruit and succulent yet vibrant acidity, enlivened by a pinpoint mousse and concluding with a flavorful finish tinged with orange. Avizoise is often the richest and most demonstrative wine in the portfolio, but this year it goes well beyond that descriptor. A residual sugar of around four grams per liter lends a more generous, giving style, and the wine will age on its concentration rather than its acidity. As ever, it derives from clay-rich soils in the commune of Avize and is typically where Agrapart begins the harvest; yields were reduced by some 30% due to frost this year. (KK)

An Avize-focused Champagne for a gathering worth opening a magnum.

Clos du Bois · California Chardonnay · 2024 · Magnum 1.5 Liter

Clos du Bois Chardonnay 2024 comes in a generous 1.5-liter magnum, bringing California Chardonnay to the table in a format made for sharing. Each magnum holds the equivalent of two standard 750ml bottles, a practical choice for a dinner gathering or celebration.

This listing features the 2024 vintage in the larger bottle format. For anyone planning a shared meal, the magnum keeps the wine service simple while giving the table a distinctive centerpiece.

Serving & Pairing Suggestions

Serve chilled and allow the wine a little time in the glass. As general Chardonnay pairing ideas, consider roast chicken, baked fish or creamy pasta, adjusting your choice to the wine’s character once opened.

Wine Details

• Producer: Clos du Bois
• Vintage: 2024
• Region: California, United States
• Grape: Chardonnay
• Style: White wine
• Bottle size: 1.5 liters
• Format: Magnum, equivalent to two standard 750ml bottles

California Chardonnay in a magnum format for sharing around the table.

Fresh, vibrant, and distinctly mineral, Louis Michel et Fils Petit Chablis 2024 offers an inviting introduction to this family domaine’s precise, unoaked style. Made from 100% Chardonnay, it combines bright citrus and delicate floral notes with a lively palate and a refreshing, chalky finish.

Tasting Notes

Citrus aromas mingle with hints of hawthorn and vine blossom. The palate is crisp and energetic, with fresh fruit, a steely mineral character, and a saline finish that invites another sip. An excellent choice for lovers of dry, refreshing white wines.

Vineyard & Terroir

The grapes come from sunlit plateaus overlooking the celebrated Valmur and Les Clos Grand Cru vineyards. Here, stony topsoil over Portlandian limestone provides the setting for a Petit Chablis that emphasizes freshness, finesse, and youthful fruit.

Winemaking

Fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled tanks, followed by spontaneous malolactic fermentation. The wine matures for 6–10 months exclusively in stainless steel, with minimal handling to preserve its freshness and vineyard character. A light filtration precedes bottling.

Food Pairings

Try it with oysters, shrimp, steamed mussels, grilled white fish, or fresh goat cheese. Its bright, refreshing character also makes it a delightful aperitif.

• Grape: 100% Chardonnay
• Region: Chablis, Burgundy, France
• Appellation: Petit Chablis
• Style: Dry

  Louis Michel et Fils Petit Chablis 2024

Domaine Antoine Jobard · Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Sur le Sentier du Clou 2024 · 750ml

This Chardonnay from Saint-Aubin in Burgundy brings the Jobard domaine’s patient approach to a premier cru white wine. The supplied Jasper Morris barrel-sample review describes ripe apple, a little lime, attractive oak perfume, and persistent length, with a score range of 90–92.

Character & Style

Fresh pale-lemon color and lightly oak-perfumed aromas introduce ripe apple and lime on the palate, according to the supplied review. Morris recommends drinking from 2028–2031. His assessment is a barrel sample, not a confirmed final bottled score.

Expert Review

Jasper Morris · 90–92 Points · Barrel Sample
Fresh pale lemon in colour. Slightly but attractively perfumed by the oak, with a delicious ripe apple flavour on the palate along with a little lime. Persists well, a St-Aubin of good character and length. Drink from 2028-2031.
Barrel Sample: 90-92

Domaine Background

The following supplied background describes the domaine and its wider range, rather than technical specifications exclusive to this 2024 Saint-Aubin.

François Jobard was one of the first vignerons Kermit imported when he began prospecting for wines in France in the 1970s. The relationship has endured into the next generation, and François’ son Antoine now runs the domaine. This is as classy and as consistent a property as you’ll find in Burgundy, and theirs are generally counted among the best Meursaults. Other respected vignerons like Coche and Raveneau hold these wines in the highest esteem and are generous with their praise when Jobard comes up in conversation.

Among the highlights from the domaine is Jobard’s stunning Bourgogne Blanc, which is routinely one of the best to carry that appellation. Their Meursault En la Barre is an outstanding value from an assiduously tended vineyard plot located just behind their home, and their enviable line-up of premier cru white Burgundies includes Meursault Poruzots, Blagny, Genevrières, and Charmes, each with its inimitable charms. Recently, they added Tillets to their list, the excellent vineyard that Roulot fans know and love – a high-elevation, very stony lieu-dit. Finally, their Puligny-Montrachet Le Trézin comes from another steep hillside parcel above the Hameau de Blagny and is always textbook Puligny, chiseled and fine-grained.

All the Jobard wines are aged in barrel and spend a lengthy period of time sur lie in their cellars in Meursault. They are the last of our white Burgundies to come to the market every year due to their unhurried approach to vinification and typically slow malolactic fermentations. In their youth, these wines are often tightly wound with an intense mineral structure that only begins to soften with extended bottle aging. Though François and Antoine work side by side, Antoine has brought his own signature to the domaine: a more sensuous approachability to the wines, all delicious and ready to drink immediately. That said, the Jobard legacy lives on, and the wines will still explode with intense aromas of honeycomb and stone later in life. If you just can’t wait, there’s no reason not to uncork.

Serving & Pairing Suggestions

Serve cool rather than ice-cold and allow time in the glass. Consider pairing with roast chicken, butter-poached fish, or mushroom dishes. For cellaring, the supplied barrel-sample review suggests 2028–2031.

Wine Details

• Producer: Domaine Antoine Jobard
• Wine: Sur le Sentier du Clou
• Vintage: 2024
• Grape: Chardonnay
• Appellation: Saint-Aubin Premier Cru
• Region: Burgundy, France
• Bottle size: 750ml
• Supplied assessment: Jasper Morris, 90–92 points, barrel sample

Not Available for Immediate Delivery. Please allow 3-5 business days for fulfillment.

Powerful · Mineral · Chalky · Saline · Elegant

Grand Cru Chablis of remarkable depth, combining ripe fruit, crushed-stone minerality and a long, saline finish.

Domaine William Fèvre’s Chablis Grand Cru Bougros 2023 is a superb expression of one of Chablis’ seven celebrated Grand Cru climats. Located at the western end of the Grand Cru slope, Bougros is traditionally known for producing wines of greater breadth, richness and power while retaining the vibrant acidity and mineral character that distinguish the finest Chablis.

Produced entirely from Chardonnay, the 2023 Bougros combines impressive concentration with remarkable freshness. The wine opens with aromas of ripe pear, peach and apple alongside citrus peel, white flowers and subtle notes of beeswax. As it develops, layers of chalk, crushed stone and marine-inflected minerality emerge.

The palate is broad and beautifully textured, with generous fruit balanced by bright, energetic acidity. There is richness here, but also precision: citrus, orchard fruit and mineral flavors build through the palate toward a persistent, dry and distinctly saline finish. Despite its concentration, the wine remains elegant and beautifully composed.

William Fèvre’s Bougros is produced from mature vines, many approximately 60 to 70 years old, growing in the deep soils of this historic Grand Cru. The maturity of the vines contributes depth and concentration while the domaine’s restrained approach in the cellar allows the character of the vineyard to remain at the forefront.

The 2023 vintage is particularly compelling, offering the generous texture associated with Bougros alongside excellent tension and freshness. It is already expressive with appropriate aeration, but its structure and mineral backbone make it an excellent candidate for extended cellaring.

Food Pairing

An exceptional partner for oysters, lobster, langoustines, scallops and other shellfish, as well as grilled or roasted fish. Its combination of richness and acidity also works beautifully with poultry, veal and white meats, particularly dishes finished with butter or delicate cream sauces.

Professional Ratings

95 James Suckling: Imagine your tongue licking wet stones with crushed seashells. Dense and chalky at the same time, with broad, medium- to full-bodied character and a long, salty finish. Elegant and pithy. Drink or hold.

93 Jasper Morris: Mid lemon yellow. The bouquet is surprisingly reticent, but suggests body to follow. The 2023 Bougros has retained a fresh white fruit on the palate, plenty of energy behind, nicely balanced because Bougros can be clumsy, with fine length. Barrel sample: 91-93

93 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: Sourced from 60- to 70-year-old vines rooted in deep soils and invariably among the richer, more muscular wines in the range, the 2023 Chablis Grand Cru Bougros delivers aromas of peach, orange oil, beeswax, honeysuckle and pear. Medium- to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, it possesses a rich core of fruit underpinned by ripe yet lively acidity. It is the fleshier and most demonstrative wine in the lineup.

93 Vinous: The 2023 Chablis Bougros Grand Cru comes from 4 hectares of vines. It has a complex bouquet with lemon thyme, crushed rocks and lime aromas, well-defined and focused. The palate is very composed and steely, a subtle reductive element here, fine weight with an elegant finish. Not the most powerful of the domaine's Grand Cru, but it has panache.  Barrel Sample: 91-93

The Style

Rich yet precise, powerful yet mineral — a Grand Cru Chablis with impressive depth, brilliant freshness and a lingering saline finish.

Pure, mineral and beautifully precise Premier Cru Chardonnay from Puligny-Montrachet.

Lucien Le Moine's 2023 Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru La Garenne is a refined and highly expressive white Burgundy, combining the crystalline minerality and tension associated with Puligny-Montrachet with the house's signature depth and texture.

La Garenne is one of Puligny-Montrachet's classified Premier Cru climats in the Côte de Beaune. The vineyard produces Chardonnay of notable freshness, precision and mineral definition, making it an especially compelling site for lovers of structured, age-worthy white Burgundy.

The 2023 vintage opens with cool, lifted aromas of Granny Smith apple, lemon rind, crushed fennel and delicate floral notes. The palate is rich and caressing without losing focus, showing generous Chardonnay fruit framed by vivid acidity and pronounced minerality. Citrus notes become increasingly prominent toward the finish, which is bone-dry, firm, beautifully balanced and impressively persistent.

This combination of richness and tension is particularly characteristic of fine Puligny-Montrachet: the wine has enough breadth and texture to feel luxurious, yet its mineral backbone keeps the palate focused, energetic and precise. The 2023 La Garenne is already compelling, but its structure suggests excellent potential for further development in bottle.

Lucien Le Moine is the tiny Beaune-based micro-négociant founded by Mounir Saouma and Rotem Brakin in 1999. The house specializes in Premier and Grand Cru Burgundy, generally producing only one to three barrels of each individual Cru.

The wines are selected very early, immediately after pressing, and raised entirely by Lucien Le Moine through bottling. Both whites and reds are aged on 100% of their lees, with gentle bâtonnage when appropriate and no racking during élevage. The wines are bottled by gravity and are neither fined nor filtered, preserving their texture, complexity and individual vineyard character.

In La Garenne, this long lees aging adds richness and depth while allowing the vineyard's naturally mineral, citrus-driven personality to remain clearly defined. The result is an elegant, concentrated and beautifully balanced Premier Cru white Burgundy.

Professional Review

BURGHOUND 93 POINTS :  Cool, airy and pure aromas include those of Granny Smith apple, lemon rind, crushed fennel and a floral top note. The rich, generously proportioned and caressing medium weight flavors also exude evident minerality on the overtly citrusy bone-dry finish that exhibits impressive persistence on the well-balanced and firm finale. Fine quality here and worth checking out. 91-93

Varietal: 100% Chardonnay
Region: Burgundy, France
Subregion: Côte de Beaune
Appellation: Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru
Vineyard: La Garenne
Vintage: 2023
Size: 750ml

Food Pairing: Excellent with lobster, scallops, oysters, roasted or grilled fish, poultry in a light cream sauce, veal, mushroom dishes and risotto. It also pairs beautifully with Comté, Gruyère and other firm, nutty cheeses.

Serving: Serve lightly chilled rather than ice cold to allow the wine's aromatics, texture and minerality to emerge. Lucien Le Moine recommends decanting its wines, including the whites, so that naturally retained CO2 from the long élevage can dissipate and the wine can fully open.

Elegant, mineral and deeply expressive Premier Cru Chablis.

Lucien Le Moine's 2023 Chablis Premier Cru Montmains is a beautifully poised expression of Chardonnay from one of Chablis' classic left-bank Premier Cru sites. Montmains is a relatively cool, wind-exposed vineyard rooted in Kimmeridgian marl, conditions that naturally favor freshness, tension and the distinctive mineral character associated with fine Chablis. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

The 2023 is precise yet generous, opening with aromas of fresh lemon, green apple and citrus zest, followed by subtle notes of white flowers, almond and crushed stone. The palate combines ripe Chardonnay fruit with vibrant acidity and a firm mineral core, showing excellent concentration without sacrificing freshness. Chalky, saline nuances emerge toward the finish, which is long, clean and beautifully balanced.

Lucien Le Moine is the tiny Beaune-based micro-négociant founded by Mounir Saouma and Rotem Brakin. Their highly individual approach emphasizes extended aging on the full lees, minimal movement of the wine, no racking during élevage, and bottling without fining or filtration. The result is a style that combines remarkable texture and depth with a transparent expression of each individual vineyard. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

Montmains is especially compelling in the hands of Lucien Le Moine: the vineyard's naturally cool personality and mineral backbone provide a striking counterpoint to the house's rich, lees-driven texture. The result is a Chablis with both immediate presence and excellent potential for further development in bottle.

Professional Review

Allen Meadows (Burghound) notes:  With respect to 2023, Mounir told me that “it is a vintage of excess in every sense of the term. We again had, at least from a historical perspective, an extreme growing season if perhaps not quite as extreme as those of several other recent vintages. Yields were high everywhere, alcohols were generous, acidities were lowish without being actually low and despite all of this, I believe 2023 is an exceptionally good vintage. One of the all-time greats? No, but certainly as good as any number of vintages over the past 20 years and better than many. 

Varietal: 100% Chardonnay
Region: Burgundy, France
Appellation: Chablis Premier Cru
Vineyard: Montmains
Vintage: 2023
Size: 750ml

Food Pairing: An exceptional partner for oysters, shellfish, scallops, grilled or roasted fish, lobster, poultry in cream sauce and soft goat cheeses. Its combination of acidity, minerality and texture also makes it an excellent choice for richer seafood preparations.

Serving: Serve lightly chilled. Lucien Le Moine recommends decanting its wines, even whites, to allow naturally retained CO2 from the long élevage to dissipate and the wine to fully reveal its aromatics and texture. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

A Sonoma Chardonnay of quiet authority. Myrna opens with bright notes of white peach, toasted hazelnut, and Meyer lemon zest, before settling into a creamy mid-palate threaded with vanilla and fresh oak. The finish is focused and clean — a wine that earns its scores without announcing them.

Blend: 100% Chardonnay
Appellation: Sonoma County, California, USA
Vintage: 2019
Format: 750ml

Far Mountain Winery is a small-production estate tucked into the hills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, with fruit sourced from select Sonoma vineyards. Winemaker Tom Rice brings a minimalist touch to every bottle — native yeast fermentation, careful barrel selection, and a commitment to letting the vineyard speak for itself. Myrna is their flagship Chardonnay, named in tribute to a beloved mentor, and it shows the kind of personal investment that only small, passionate producers can deliver.

Unoaked and unapologetic, Steel Chardonnay is Louis Jadot's love letter to the pure, mineral soul of Burgundy. Citrus, mandarin orange, white flower, pear, and crisp apple lead on the nose, while the palate delivers a surprisingly concentrated balance — delicate yet rich, with flinty chalk-and-limestone minerality running clean through the finish.

Blend: 100% Chardonnay
Appellation: Burgundy, France
Vintage: 2024
Format: 750ml

For nearly 200 years, Maison Louis Jadot has championed Burgundy's viticultural heritage across hundreds of carefully tended parcels. Steel Chardonnay is vinified entirely in stainless steel — no oak, no malolactic fermentation — to let the minerality of Mâconnais chalk and limestone soils speak without interruption. The result is a wine that is fresh, food-friendly, and effortlessly elegant.

Latour Vincent Meursault "Clos des Magny" 2024 is an elegant and beautifully focused white Burgundy from Domaine Vincent Latour, the historic Meursault estate now run by Vincent Latour and his wife, Cécile. Formerly known as Domaine Latour-Labille, the domaine traces its history back to 1792 and has become known for Chardonnay that balances generous texture with freshness, tension and precision.

Clos des Magny comes from a 0.93-hectare parcel planted between 1979 and 1983, situated just below the village of Meursault. These mature vines provide naturally concentrated fruit while retaining the freshness and mineral character that define classic Meursault.

The wine is fermented and aged in demi-muids on the lees for approximately 12 months, without lees stirring. Vincent Latour favors this restrained approach to élevage, allowing the wine to gain depth and texture from its time on the lees while preserving clarity, energy and a strong sense of terroir.

The 2024 Clos des Magny offers the richness expected from Meursault while remaining beautifully poised. Aromas of ripe pear, yellow apple, citrus and white flowers are joined by subtle mineral and gently savory notes. The palate is supple and layered, with a creamy texture balanced by bright acidity and a fine mineral backbone.

As the wine opens, additional notes of orchard fruit, lemon zest, hazelnut and delicate spice may emerge, leading into a long, refined finish. The absence of lees stirring helps maintain freshness and definition, giving the wine an appealing combination of Meursault richness and precise, energetic structure.

Clos des Magny is an excellent example of Vincent Latour's style: expressive and textural without becoming heavy, with the fruit, élevage and mineral character working seamlessly together. It is delicious now with a little air, yet has the concentration and balance to develop additional complexity with bottle age.

Producer: Domaine Vincent Latour
Grape: Chardonnay
Region: Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France
Appellation: Meursault
Vineyard: Clos des Magny
Vintage: 2024
Parcel Size: Approximately 0.93 hectare
Vine Age: Planted between 1979 and 1983
Élevage: Fermented and aged in demi-muids on the lees for 12 months; no lees stirring
Bottle Size: 750ml

Pairing: Beautiful with scallops, lobster, grilled or roasted fish, roast chicken, creamy poultry dishes, mushroom risotto, veal, soft-ripened cheeses and aged Comté.

Latour Vincent Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot 2024 is a serious, beautifully structured white Burgundy from Domaine Vincent Latour, the historic Meursault estate run by Vincent Latour and his wife, Cécile. The domaine traces its origins to 1792 and is known for producing Chardonnay with richness and texture while preserving freshness, tension and precision.

This wine comes from a small 0.25-hectare parcel in Morgeot Premier Cru, one of the most important and historically recognized Premier Cru sectors of Chassagne-Montrachet. The vines were planted in 1956 and 1994, bringing together the concentration and complexity of mature vines with the energy and balance characteristic of this celebrated Côte de Beaune terroir.

The wine is fermented and aged in demi-muids on the lees for approximately 12 months, without lees stirring. Vincent Latour's restrained approach to élevage allows the natural power of Morgeot to develop while maintaining clarity, freshness and definition rather than emphasizing oak or excessive richness.

The 2024 shows the broad, generous personality associated with Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru, with layers of ripe orchard fruit, citrus, subtle white flowers and mineral notes. The palate is concentrated and textured, yet balanced by lively acidity and a firm mineral backbone. Delicate savory and lightly toasted nuances add complexity, leading into a long, polished and persistent finish.

Morgeot is particularly known for producing white wines with depth, breadth and impressive aging potential. Latour's old-vine parcel and careful vinification give this bottling both immediate appeal and the structure to develop additional complexity with time in the cellar.

A compelling Premier Cru for collectors and Burgundy enthusiasts, this is an excellent example of Chassagne-Montrachet's combination of power, elegance and mineral precision.

Producer: Domaine Vincent Latour
Grape: Chardonnay
Region: Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France
Appellation: Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru
Vineyard: Morgeot 1er Cru
Vintage: 2024
Parcel Size: Approximately 0.25 hectare
Vine Age: Plantings from 1956 and 1994
Élevage: Fermented and aged in demi-muids on the lees for 12 months; no lees stirring
Bottle Size: 750ml

Pairing: Excellent with lobster, scallops, roasted or grilled fish, halibut, turbot, roast chicken, veal in cream sauce, mushroom dishes, risotto, aged Comté and other rich, savory cheeses.

A Remarkable Village Chablis from Just Below Premier Cru Montée de Tonnerre
Patrick Piuze's 2025 Chablis "Les Bas De Chapelots" comes from a particularly exciting vineyard situated directly below the Chapelots climat of the renowned Premier Cru Montée de Tonnerre. The parcel was planted in 1982 and was introduced to Piuze's lineup with the 2023 vintage, making this one of the newer and more distinctive additions to his collection of vineyard-specific Chablis.

Although classified at the village Chablis level, the vineyard's location immediately beneath one of the Right Bank's celebrated Premier Cru sites gives this bottling unusual pedigree. Patrick Piuze's philosophy is centered on precisely these differences in terroir, producing individual wines from specific vineyards rather than blending away their distinctive personalities.

Tasting Notes
Fresh, approachable and beautifully mineral, the 2025 Les Bas De Chapelots shows bright notes of pear and lime supported by the stony, mineral character associated with classic Chablis. The palate combines juicy fruit with freshness and precision, leading to an impressively long, mineral-driven finish.

Grape: 100% Chardonnay
Country: France
Region: Burgundy
Subregion: Chablis
Appellation: Chablis
Vineyard: Les Bas De Chapelots
Vintage: 2025
Producer: Patrick Piuze
Vine Age: Vineyard planted in 1982
Location: Directly below the Chapelots climat of Premier Cru Montée de Tonnerre
Farming: Sustainable
Fermentation: Spontaneous fermentation
Malolactic Fermentation: Naturally occurring
Bottle Size: 750ml

About Les Bas De Chapelots
Les Bas De Chapelots is a special village-level site located immediately below Chapelots, a climat within the celebrated Chablis Premier Cru Montée de Tonnerre on the Right Bank of the Serein. Its proximity to Premier Cru vineyards makes it an especially compelling example of Patrick Piuze's terroir-focused approach to Chablis.

The vineyard was planted in 1982, and Patrick Piuze first introduced Les Bas De Chapelots as a separate bottling with the 2023 vintage. The wine combines the freshness and accessibility of village Chablis with impressive mineral persistence and a sense of place that makes it particularly attractive for Chablis enthusiasts.

About Patrick Piuze
Montreal-born Patrick Piuze has established himself as one of the most distinctive producers in modern Chablis. Working closely with growers throughout the region, he sources fruit from carefully selected parcels and produces numerous vineyard-specific wines designed to highlight the differences between Chablis' individual terroirs.

Piuze places particular emphasis on old vines and careful harvesting. While machine harvesting is widespread in Chablis, his grapes are harvested by hand. In the cellar, fermentations occur spontaneously and malolactic fermentation proceeds naturally, with a deliberately low-intervention approach intended to keep the vineyard character at the forefront.

Food Pairing
An excellent partner for oysters, clams, shrimp, scallops, crab, sushi and sashimi, grilled or roasted white fish and roast chicken. Its combination of citrus freshness, ripe pear and persistent minerality also makes it a beautiful aperitif and a natural match for fresh and soft cheeses.

Why We Like It
Les Bas De Chapelots occupies an unusually privileged position for a village-level Chablis, sitting directly beneath Premier Cru Montée de Tonnerre. With vines dating to 1982 and Piuze's meticulous terroir-driven approach, this is an excellent opportunity to experience a distinctive Chablis site at an especially attractive level. 

93 Points James Suckling: Limes, pears, white flowers and wet stones on the nose. Open and balanced, with good acidity and a chalky texture. Approachable now, but better in 2028.

Old-Vine Chablis with Depth, Ripe Fruit and Chalky Minerality
Patrick Piuze's 2025 Chablis "Terroir de Courgis" is a distinctive village-level Chablis from a single vineyard on the Left Bank of the Serein. Planted in 1937, the old Chardonnay vines grow in clay-rich topsoil over classic Kimmeridgian limestone bedrock, producing one of the richest and most generously textured wines in Piuze's Terroir series.

The greater proportion of clay found on the Left Bank contributes weight, texture and ripe fruit, while the underlying limestone provides the freshness, chalky structure and mineral character that define classic Chablis. Piuze vinifies the Terroir wines in tank rather than barrel, keeping the focus firmly on fruit, freshness and vineyard expression.

Tasting Notes
Expressive and beautifully balanced, the 2025 Terroir de Courgis offers aromas of fresh lime, ripe pear and white flowers layered with wet stone and mineral notes. The palate is open and generous, showing juicy orchard and stone fruit balanced by lively acidity and a distinctly chalky texture. Fuller and rounder than many of Piuze's other village Chablis bottlings, it nevertheless retains excellent freshness and a clean, mineral-driven finish.

Grape: 100% Chardonnay
Country: France
Region: Burgundy
Subregion: Chablis
Appellation: Chablis
Village/Terroir: Courgis
Vintage: 2025
Producer: Patrick Piuze
Vineyard: Single vineyard
Vine Age: Planted in 1937
Soil: Clay topsoil over Kimmeridgian limestone bedrock
Farming: Sustainable
Fermentation: Spontaneous fermentation
Vinification & Aging: Fermented and aged in tank
Bottle Size: 750ml

About Terroir de Courgis
Courgis lies on the Left Bank of the Serein, an area of Chablis where the soils generally contain more clay than those of the Right Bank. This additional clay tends to produce wines with greater breadth, richness and ripe fruit while preserving the underlying limestone-driven freshness and minerality of Chablis.

Patrick Piuze's Terroir de Courgis comes from a single vineyard planted in 1937. Among his village-level Terroir bottlings, Courgis is typically the most substantial and weighty, characterized by ripe, juicy fruit and a generous texture balanced by classic Chablis acidity and minerality.

About Patrick Piuze
Canadian-born Patrick Piuze has become one of the most distinctive winemakers in Chablis, building his reputation through a remarkable collection of vineyard-specific wines. Rather than blending away the differences between sites, Piuze emphasizes individual terroirs, allowing each village and vineyard to express its own personality.

His cellar approach is deliberately low intervention. Fermentations occur spontaneously, and the village-level Terroir wines are fermented and aged primarily in older stainless-steel tanks. Malolactic fermentation occurs naturally, and the wines receive only gentle filtration before bottling. The result is a transparent style of Chablis focused on freshness, texture, minerality and sense of place.

Food Pairing
Excellent with oysters, clams, crab, scallops, shrimp, sushi and sashimi, grilled or roasted white fish, roast chicken and creamy seafood dishes. The additional richness of Courgis also makes it an excellent match for richer shellfish preparations, poultry and soft cheeses.

Cellaring
Already approachable for its generous fruit and open texture, but its acidity and mineral structure should allow it to develop additional complexity with bottle age. James Suckling suggests it will be even better beginning in 2028. ```

Terre de Vertus is one of Larmandier-Bernier's most celebrated single-terroir Champagnes — a vintage Blanc de Blancs drawn entirely from Chardonnay grown in the Premier Cru village of Vertus. The fruit comes from two plots within the Les Barillers lieu-dit, situated mid-slope with a southeast exposure, a site the estate has vinified separately since 1995. Farmed biodynamically and fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts in old oak casks and large wooden foudres, the wine rests on its lees through winter before undergoing secondary fermentation in bottle and more than five years of additional lees aging. The 2017 was disgorged in May 2023 with zero dosage — no sugar added — preserving the vineyard's exceptionally pure, dry and mineral expression.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2017

93 Wine Advocate: "The 2017 Brut Nature Blanc de Blancs Terre de Vertus imparts a very mineral, almost crystalline character. A vineyard that rarely produces powerful wines, even in the context of 2017, it has retained its personality, though it's a little more generous and slightly less focused than the 2016 rendition. Unfurling from the glass with aromas of lemon peel, honeysuckle and oyster shell, it is medium-bodied, racy and saline-tinged."

93 Vinous: "Creamy, open-knit and quite seductive. Readers will find a generous, sensual Champagne with plenty of early appeal. Dried pear, crushed flowers, mint and chamomile build beautifully over time. This is a fine effort in a very challenging year."

Tasting Notes

Precise, expressive and intensely mineral. The nose opens with lemon peel, dried pear and delicate floral notes, followed by honeysuckle, mint, chamomile and a distinctive oyster-shell salinity. The palate is creamy and generous yet beautifully energized — fine acidity and a taut mineral backbone carry through to a finish that is dry, racy, saline and exceptionally pure. Oak fermentation lends supple texture; zero dosage ensures nothing stands between you and the terroir of Vertus.

Food Pairing

An exceptional partner for oysters and shellfish, sashimi, sushi, scallops, grilled or roasted white fish, lobster, roast poultry and aged cheeses. Its saline character and zero dosage make it especially compelling alongside seafood and dishes built around fresh herbs or citrus.

Specifications

Grape Variety: Chardonnay (100%)
Country: France
Region: Champagne
Sub-Region: Côte des Blancs
Village: Vertus
Classification: Premier Cru
Style: Blanc de Blancs / Brut Nature / Non Dosé
Dosage: 0 g/L — Zero Dosage
Vintage: 2017
Vineyard: Les Barillers lieu-dit
Farming: Biodynamic
Fermentation: Indigenous yeasts in old oak casks and large wooden foudres
Aging: 5+ years on the lees in bottle
Disgorgement: May 2023
ABV: 12%
Bottle Size: 750ml
Producer: Larmandier-Bernier

Longitude is Larmandier-Bernier's chalk-driven, Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs — a wine of remarkable precision and mineral energy that captures the essence of the Côte des Blancs. Made entirely from Chardonnay grown along the celebrated north-to-south line of villages near the 4th meridian — Vertus, Oger, Avize, Cramant and Chouilly — the wine takes its name from this near-straight longitudinal axis of vineyards. Where the estate's Latitude is broad and generous, Longitude is linear, taut and intensely mineral.

The 2021-based release is composed of approximately 60% wine from the cool, energetic 2021 vintage together with 40% from the estate's perpetual reserve, established in 2004. Grapes are gently pressed before undergoing spontaneous alcoholic and malolactic fermentation with indigenous yeasts, then fermented and matured in wood on their natural lees without fining or filtration. After blending and tirage, the Champagne undergoes extended bottle maturation before disgorgement in April 2024 with a dosage of just 2 g/L — firmly Extra Brut.

Expert Reviews

93 Decanter: "There's an extra dash of mineral energy and zesty length in this cuvée. Subtly creamy and peppery, yet fulsome in white peach, pear and lemon oil, it gains a savoury, umami depth from 40% addition of perpetual reserve. Always a model non-vintage blanc de blancs."

92 Jeb Dunnuck: "More focus and a compact, linear drive from more chalky soils, with notes of lemon candy, Anjou pear, and a very pretty floral perfume. Medium-bodied, it has a refreshing and fine mousse, with pleasing lift and a clean finish."

92 Wine Advocate: "A considerable increase in intensity and tension compared to Latitude. Medium-bodied, taut and incisive in personality. Offers aromas of white flowers, citrus fruit and oyster shell. Tangy acidity, informed by the long and cool growing season, with mineral-laden undertones, leads to a chalky, long-lasting finish."

92 Wine Spectator: "Hints of lime blossom and pink grapefruit sorbet are a citrusy thread through this sleek, finely knit Champagne. It's racy and lightly spiced, with flavors of yellow plum and chalky mineral set on the delicate mousse."

Tasting Notes

Bright, focused and intensely mineral, the 2021-based Longitude opens with white flowers, fresh citrus, green apple and subtle oyster-shell notes. The palate is taut and energetic — tangy acidity framed by chalk, crushed stone, citrus peel and a delicate saline character. Elegant rather than broad, it finishes long, dry and exceptionally precise. This is classic Côte des Blancs Chardonnay: pure, linear and refreshing, with enough depth from the perpetual reserve to add complexity without sacrificing the wine's crystalline personality.

Food Pairing

An outstanding aperitif and a natural partner for oysters, shellfish, sashimi, sushi, grilled white fish, scallops, fresh goat cheese and delicate poultry dishes.

Specifications

Grape Variety: Chardonnay (100%)
Country: France
Region: Champagne
Sub-Region: Côte des Blancs
Villages: Vertus, Oger, Avize, Cramant, Chouilly
Classification: Premier Cru
Style: Blanc de Blancs / Extra Brut
Dosage: 2 g/L — Extra Brut
Base Vintage: 2021
Blend: ~60% 2021 base wine, 40% perpetual reserve (est. 2004)
Farming: Biodynamic / organic
Fermentation: Indigenous yeasts; spontaneous alcoholic and malolactic fermentation; aged in wood on lees
Disgorgement: April 2024
ABV: 12%
Bottle Size: 750ml
Producer: Larmandier-Bernier

Paul Bara Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut “L’Audacieuse” Grand Cru 2016 is a rare and daring Grower Champagne produced from 100% Chardonnay grown in the Grand Cru village of Bouzy in Champagne’s Montagne de Reims. Bouzy is celebrated primarily for its powerful Pinot Noir — making this pure Chardonnay cuvée an especially unusual and audacious expression of the village’s terroir.

The Chardonnay comes from the Mont des Tours vineyard, where Bouzy’s predominantly chalky soils provide excellent drainage and contribute freshness, precision and a pronounced mineral character. The name L’Audacieuse — “the audacious one” — reflects the house’s bold decision to produce a Blanc de Blancs from a terroir traditionally associated with Pinot Noir.

The 2016 vintage displays a luminous pale-gold color and a fine, persistent mousse. The expressive bouquet offers aromas of green apple, pear, white peach and fresh citrus, joined by delicate white flowers and chalky minerality. With air, more complex notes of fresh almond, brioche, dried herbs and subtle honey begin to emerge.

On the palate, L’Audacieuse is lively and precise, combining vibrant acidity with an elegant, gently creamy texture. Ripe orchard fruit and citrus are balanced by chalky tension and delicate autolytic complexity. The finish is long, clean and refined, with lingering saline and mineral notes that emphasize the purity of the Chardonnay.

The wine spent approximately eight years aging in bottle before release, allowing its freshness and fruit to develop greater depth, texture and complexity. Finished as an Extra Brut with a very low dosage of ~3 g/L, it remains dry, focused and beautifully expressive of its Grand Cru origins. Production of the 2016 vintage was extremely limited — only 3,935 numbered bottles produced.

Wine Details

• Producer: Paul Bara
• Cuvée: L’Audacieuse
• Style: Vintage Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut
• Vintage: 2016
• Country: France
• Region: Champagne
• Subregion: Montagne de Reims
• Village: Bouzy Grand Cru
• Vineyard: Mont des Tours
• Grape: 100% Chardonnay
• Dosage: Extra Brut, ~3 g/L
• Aging: ~8 years in bottle before release
• Alcohol: 12.5%
• Production: 3,935 numbered bottles
• Serving Temperature: 48–52°F

About Paul Bara

The Bara family has cultivated vines in Bouzy since the nineteenth century. Today, Champagne Paul Bara farms approximately 11 hectares divided among 33 parcels, all located within the Grand Cru village. The estate combines traditional craftsmanship with sustainable vineyard practices, producing Champagnes known for their structure, elegance and clear expression of Bouzy’s chalk-rich soils.

Why We Like It

L’Audacieuse is a genuinely rare bottle — a Blanc de Blancs from Bouzy, a village that almost never produces one. Eight years on the lees, a single vineyard source, and fewer than 4,000 bottles worldwide make this one of the most compelling and collectible Grower Champagnes we carry. For the serious Champagne lover, it is simply unmissable.

Food Pairings: Oysters, caviar, sashimi, scallops, lobster, grilled prawns, roasted sea bass, citrus-accented poultry, creamy risotto and aged goat cheese.

93 Points — John Gilman, View From the Cellar
92 Points — Wine Spectator
90–92 Points — Jasper Morris, MW, Inside Burgundy

Domaine Clos de la Chapelle’s 2023 Meursault Les Vignes Blanches is a beautifully concentrated, old-vine Chardonnay from a distinctive village-level climat situated below the celebrated Santenots vineyards. Combining the generous orchard-fruit character traditionally associated with Meursault with vibrant acidity, pale limestone minerality and finely integrated oak, this is a rich yet precise white Burgundy of remarkable depth and persistence.

The wine comes from a tiny 0.41-hectare parcel planted predominantly in 1948. Although Les Vignes Blanches is classified as Meursault Village, its old vines, individual terroir and limited production give it a personality that clearly distinguishes it from a blended village Meursault.

The Place

Meursault lies in the heart of Burgundy’s Côte de Beaune, immediately south of Volnay and north of Puligny-Montrachet. The village is internationally renowned for Chardonnay that combines richness, breadth and silky texture with fresh acidity and a distinctive mineral character.

Meursault has no Grand Cru vineyards, yet its finest Premier Cru and village-level climats produce some of Burgundy’s most complex and age-worthy white wines. The appellation’s varied marl, limestone, gravel and clay soils allow Chardonnay to express a wide range of styles, from supple and nutty to firm, citrus-driven and intensely mineral.

The Les Vignes Blanches Vineyard

Les Vignes Blanches is situated low on the Meursault slope, below Santenots and just south of the Meursault Premier Cru Santenots vineyards. It rests beneath a small rocky rise that contributes natural drainage and an unusually pronounced mineral character for this part of the slope.

The climat takes its name from the pale, gravelly limestone visible throughout the vineyard. Beneath and among this limestone is a meaningful clay component that retains water during warm, dry growing seasons. This combination gives the wine both richness and tension: clay contributes depth, texture and ripe orchard fruit, while the gravelly limestone provides freshness, salinity and mineral definition.

Many growers traditionally blend fruit from Les Vignes Blanches into a broader village-level Meursault. Domaine Clos de la Chapelle instead bottles the parcel separately to preserve its individual character and expression of place.

The Domaine’s Parcel

Domaine Clos de la Chapelle farms approximately 0.41 hectare—just over one acre—of Les Vignes Blanches. Most of the Chardonnay vines were planted in 1948, immediately following the Second World War, making them more than 75 years old at the time of the 2023 harvest.

These deeply rooted old vines naturally produce small quantities of concentrated fruit. Their extensive root systems penetrate multiple soil layers, helping the vines maintain balance during dry conditions and giving the finished wine notable depth, complexity and persistence.

The 2023 growing season demonstrated the value of the site’s water-retentive clay. According to Jasper Morris, the soils held sufficient moisture during the vintage, allowing the grapes to achieve generous ripeness while retaining adequate acidity.

The Grape: 100% Chardonnay.

Chardonnay is Burgundy’s principal white grape and an exceptionally transparent interpreter of terroir. In Les Vignes Blanches, it combines the broad texture and ripe orchard-fruit profile associated with Meursault with citrus freshness, oyster-shell salinity and a finely structured mineral finish.

Viticulture

Domaine Clos de la Chapelle’s vineyards are certified organic and are cultivated according to biodynamic principles. The estate avoids chemical pesticides and fertilizers, regularly ploughs its soils and carefully controls yields to encourage healthy vines and concentrated fruit.

The grapes are harvested by hand and sorted before pressing. The domaine’s objective is to preserve the purity of the fruit while allowing the individual soil, vine age and vintage conditions of each small parcel to remain clearly expressed in the finished wine.

Winemaking and Aging

The Chardonnay is whole-cluster pressed, followed by approximately 24 hours of settling. Fermentation and maturation take place in a combination of French oak barrel sizes, helping the wine develop texture and complexity without allowing the oak to dominate its old-vine fruit or mineral character.

The domaine may use up to 30% new oak for its white wines, with barrels sourced from several respected cooperages. Bâtonnage may be performed once per week for as long as six weeks after fermentation, or until malolactic fermentation begins.

The 2023 Les Vignes Blanches was matured for approximately 14 months in barrel. The use of different barrel sizes helps preserve freshness while contributing restrained notes of vanilla, toast and brioche. The wine is bottled approximately 15 to 18 months after harvest.

Tasting Notes

The 2023 displays a full lemon-yellow color and an expressive, layered bouquet of ripe peach, pear, yellow apple and citrus. With air, aromas of citronella, white flowers, toasted brioche, hazelnut and delicate vanilla emerge alongside a subtle reductive, mineral tension.

The palate is supple, concentrated and beautifully layered. Rich orchard fruit and ripe peach are balanced by vibrant acidity and savory notes of oyster shell and pale limestone. The old vines provide impressive mid-palate depth, while the wine’s mineral structure keeps its generous fruit precise and focused.

Notes of vanilla and toasted brioche are finely integrated into the fruit rather than dominant. The wine builds steadily across the palate, concluding with a long, refined and complex finish marked by citrus, orchard fruit, saline minerals and gentle oak spice.

This is a generous yet disciplined expression of Meursault—reminiscent of the traditional, richly textured style of the village, but supported by enough acidity and mineral tension to remain vibrant and age gracefully.

Professional Ratings

93 Points — John Gilman, View From the Cellar | John Gilman awarded the 2023 Meursault Les Vignes Blanches 93 points, recognizing it as one of the leading white wines in Domaine Clos de la Chapelle’s highly regarded 2023 collection.

92 Points — Wine Spectator: Citronella, peach, oyster shell, vanilla and toasted brioche flavors ride the supple texture in this harmonious white. Vibrant and succulent while building to the refined, complex aftertaste. Best from 2027 through 2040.

90–92 Points — Jasper Morris, MW, Inside Burgundy
Barrel Sample:  Old vines on clay soil below Santenots. A full lemon yellow, with a little reductive tension on the nose. Made in a mix of wood sizes. Nicely layered flesh and fruit on the palate, quite a rich orchard fruit, but balanced by adequate acidity These soils retained the water sufficiently in 2023. A good long finish, rather lovely and not far from old style Meursault. Barrel Sample: 90-92

The 2023 Vintage

The 2023 vintage produced generous, ripe fruit across the Côte de Beaune, but the finest sites maintained the acidity and mineral structure necessary for balance. At Les Vignes Blanches, the clay component retained valuable moisture during warm and dry periods, helping the old vines ripen steadily without losing freshness.

The result is a wine with generous fruit and textural richness, balanced by adequate acidity, limestone tension and a persistent mineral finish.

The Domaine

Domaine Clos de la Chapelle is a small, historic Burgundy estate based in Bligny-lès-Beaune and closely associated with Volnay. The domaine takes its name from the historic Volnay Premier Cru Clos de la Chapelle monopole, a walled vineyard situated opposite the Gothic chapel of Notre Dame de Pitié.

The property was acquired in 2011 by Mark O’Connell and his Burgundian partners and renamed Domaine Clos de la Chapelle in honor of its flagship vineyard. The estate now owns and farms approximately five hectares divided among 16 individual terroirs in Volnay, Pommard, Beaune, Pernand-Vergelesses, Meursault and Corton.

The vineyards are certified organic and farmed according to biodynamic principles. Grapes are harvested by hand, yields are deliberately restricted and intervention in the cellar is kept to a minimum. Total production across the entire domaine averages only approximately 1,800 cases annually.

Food Pairing

Meursault Les Vignes Blanches is an excellent accompaniment to lobster, scallops, crab, halibut, turbot, sea bass and sole meunière. Its combination of richness and acidity also pairs beautifully with roast chicken, pork tenderloin, veal in cream sauce and poultry with mushrooms.

Additional pairings include lobster ravioli, mushroom risotto, creamy pasta, roasted cauliflower and mature cheeses such as Comté, Gruyère or Délice de Bourgogne.

Serving and Cellaring

The domaine recommends serving the wine at approximately 16°C, or 61°F. It may initially be poured slightly cooler and allowed to warm gradually in the glass, revealing additional orchard fruit, hazelnut, brioche and mineral complexity.

When enjoyed young, opening the bottle approximately 30 minutes before serving will help the wine’s subtle reductive character dissipate. Its old-vine concentration, acidity and mineral structure should support graceful development through 2040.

Producer: Domaine Clos de la Chapelle
Country: France
Region: Burgundy
Subregion: Côte de Beaune
Village: Meursault
Appellation: Meursault AOC
Vineyard: Les Vignes Blanches
Classification: Village
Grape: 100% Chardonnay
Vineyard Holding: Approximately 0.41 hectare
Vine Age: Predominantly planted in 1948
Location: Below Santenots on the lower Meursault slope
Soil: Gravelly pale limestone with water-retentive clay
Farming: Certified organic; biodynamic principles
Harvest: Hand harvested
Pressing: Whole-cluster pressed
Aging: Approximately 14 months in French oak
Alcohol: 13.5%
Wine Type: Dry white wine
Bottle Size: 750ml

Domaine Clos de la Chapelle Meursault Les Vignes Blanches 2023