Bourgogne blanc "La Plante des Champs" AOC 2023

A Chardonnay built on clarity rather than fullness. Domaine Thomas-Collardot works in Puligny-Montrachet on the principle of transparency over opulence, precision over breadth, and this Bourgogne blanc carries that signature right at the entry level: precise citrus fruit, a fine chalky texture, a saline pull. No buttery toast, no vanilla clouds.

The estate comprises 2.5 hectares in the heart of Puligny-Montrachet and is run by Jacqueline Collardot and her son Matthieu. The vines trace back to Jacqueline's grandfathers, Henri Chavy and Maurice Thomas; her father Pierre Thomas farmed them until 1992, after which they were leased to cousins. In 2010, Jacqueline Collardot took the vineyards back, trained at the CFPPA in Beaune, and bottled her first own vintage in 2015. Matthieu joined in 2018.

Pure Chardonnay. In the cellar, a light touch prevails: gentle pressing, 24 hours of settling, then ten months on fine lees in used 228-litre barrels that have already seen two to four fills. No fining, only light filtration, and the estate largely forgoes sulphur additions.

Dry and taut, with the fine grain that defines the estate's style. Citrus zest and lime peel carry the wine, with a chalky, saline vein closing it out. Despite its 14.0% ABV, it aims not for breadth but for length.

A tiny operation producing around 10,000 bottles a year. The family has only been vinifying it themselves since 2015; before that, the grapes went to négociants. The Bourgogne blanc gets ten months of lees ageing, the Village and Premier Cru sixteen.