Saint-Aubin 1er Cru La Chatenière 2023 Larue | Burgundy

The uniqueness of Domaine Larue 's Saint-Aubin 1er Cru La Chatenière lies in the steepness of its slope, so steep that it requires almost heroic manual labor at an altitude of 250 meters. Here, near the hamlet of Gamay, the soil of this small parcel is strewn with limestone scree that catches the southern light with an intensity exceptional for Burgundy. This exposure favors early ripening, but the poverty of the limestone soil prevents this heat from turning into softness. On the contrary, the extensive drainage forces the vines to root deeply into the cold rock, creating the fascinating paradox of a generously mature, almost exotic wine, supported by a backbone of pure limestone. The Chardonnay vines were planted in 2011 at high density by Domaine Larue, who apply rigorous viticulture methods, combined with an organic approach during the summer to respect the natural character of this hillside, which has been untouched by cultivation for over a century. The grapes are harvested by hand and lightly crushed before pneumatic pressing and fermentation in oak barrels. The cuvée is then aged for 10 months on fine lees in barrels, 20% of which are renewed each year.

Philippe Mischler sommelier at Mundovin : With Saint Aubin La Chatenière, Domaine Larue has succeeded in capturing the radiant energy of this young 1er Cruappellation, still little exploited but endowed with remarkable potential. Ageing here is an exercise in surgical precision: it must contain the natural ardor of the cru without extinguishing its brilliance. The Chardonnay achieves a form of plenitude with a fuller body than on the other plots of the wine estate, while retaining the saline tension that is the hallmark of the great Saint Aubin 1er Cru wines and reminds us of the close kinship between this hillside and the greatest terroirs of the Montrachet hill.

On the nose, the wine is radiantly aromatic, with notes of vanilla, lily and seringat mingling with accents of ripe yellow fruit, from vine peach to fresh apricot. One is immediately struck by a gourmand, almost pastry-like dimension, evoking toasted hazelnut and fresh butter, but this richness is immediately balanced by a streamlined mineral framework and mentholated vegetal accents.

On the palate, a generous, fatty texture envelops the taste buds with a caressing softness, the sign of grapes picked at their peak drinking. Volume is channeled by masterful structural acidity, whose vertical momentum and chalky minerality burst forth from the mid-palate. The finish is an explosion of flavors, stretching long on yellow fruit and an iodine afterglow that vibrates on the palate.