Bourgogne Côte d'Or "Les Grandes Gouttes" AOC 2022 1500ml Magnum

A Chardonnay of crystalline clarity: slender in build, taut, with saline length rather than broad opulence. Vinified dry, 13.0% vol., bottled in a 1500 ml magnum.

Domaine Rougeot Père & Fils is based in Meursault in the Côte de Beaune. The estate comprises 12.6 hectares with plots in Meursault, Volnay and Pommard, expanded in the 1960s by grandfather Hubert, who served as mayor of Meursault for 25 years. Work in the vineyard is done by hand, with only minimal use of tractors.

Single-varietal Chardonnay. Fermentation starts spontaneously with indigenous yeasts, and the wine is aged in 228-litre Burgundy barrels, with the proportion of new oak kept deliberately low. Pierre-Henri Rougeot forgoes bâtonnage as well as fining and filtration; no sulphur is added during ageing, and the timing of bottling is decided vintage by vintage. The cellars date back to the 18th century and were originally built for the Hospices de Beaune.

Pale lemon-yellow with greenish reflections. On the nose, ripe yellow apple, citrus zest and a hint of fresh brioche, backed by a cool mineral note. The palate entry is juicy and completely dry, acidity keeps the wine upright, the texture stays fine, the finish saline.

Pan-fried turbot and scallops in butter nage, poultry with morel cream sauce, and aged Comté.

In 2016, Pierre-Henri Rougeot ended his father Marc's supermarket supply business and steered the estate toward quality wines. Since then he has worked biodynamically and with minimal intervention. His credo: "There can be no good wine from bad soil."