Saint-Romain "La Combe Bazin" AOC 2023

A Chardonnay without make-up: clearly drawn, taut, carried by cool tension. Rather than richness, it's drive and saline length that take centre stage, the style Pierre-Henri Rougeot has pursued since his realignment in 2016.

The wine comes from Saint-Romain in Burgundy. The vines there date back to the 1920s and are among the plots Pierre-Henri Rougeot is especially proud of. The domaine comprises 12.6 hectares with further plots in Meursault, Volnay and Pommard, already expanded in the 1960s by grandfather Hubert, who was mayor of Meursault for 25 years.

Single-varietal Chardonnay. Work in the vineyard is done exclusively by hand, with tractors used only minimally. The must ferments spontaneously with indigenous yeasts, and ageing takes place in 228-litre Burgundy barrels with a low proportion of new oak and no bâtonnage. No sulphur is added throughout the entire ageing process; only at bottling does Rougeot decide, depending on the vintage. The wine is neither fined nor filtered.

Green apple and lemon zest, with a smoky note behind. The wine remains dense and focused, the acidity vibrant, the finish saline and linear.

With roasted turbot, scallops and pikeperch on lentil vegetables. Poultry in cream sauce and a chilled, well-aged cheese also pair well.

The cellars date back to the 18th century and were originally built for the Hospices de Beaune. At Rougeot, diagonally striped labels mark the cuvées aged without sulphur. The estate farms biodynamically, following Pierre-Henri's credo: "There can be no good wine from bad soil."