Hubert Lamy, Les Chataigners Bourgogne Blanc, Chardonnay 2023 750ml

Saint Aubin was long seen as a lesser appellation when talking about the great wines of Burgundy. Hubert Lamy is one of the domaines that has changed that. Olivier Lamy is at the helm of Hubert Lamy and, over the past 20 years, has built a reputation as one of the hardest working, passionate, and knowledgeable winemakers in the Cote de Beaune. The family has a long history of growing grapes in Saint Aubin. Before taking over from his father, Olivier honed his intense focus on meticulous vineyard work when working at Meo Camuzet.

An early proponent of high-density plantings, he believes that this allows the vines to capture more from their terroir. He began this practice in the Saint Aubin premier cru site Derriere Chez Edouard, planting at between 28,000-30,000 vines per hectare, roughly three times the normal plantings and amount of work in the vineyard. The results have been remarkable.

Olivier was also one of the first winemakers in the Cote de Beaune to use large barrels, ranging between 350 to 600 liter barrels. Following harvest, the grapes are sorted and then pressed with the juice before moving to stainless steel tanks. After fermentation, the wines are moved to these large barrels with generally 0-15% new oak for roughly 18-24 months.