Domaine Hubert Lamy - Saint Aubin 1er Cru - Derrière chez Edouard - White 2023
Domaine Hubert Lamy is one of the major signatures of the Côte de Beaune, located in Saint Aubin on high-altitude slopes with a strong limestone character. Olivier Lamy has refined a style of great precision by working his vines with a high planting density, using sustainable viticultural practices and a demanding respect for the soils. The fermentations are natural, the pressings long and delicate, and the use of new wood remains sparing in order to prioritize the energy and purity of the chardonnay. The Derrière chez Edouard climat, perched above the village, particularly illustrates this philosophy, with a vineyard of about 1.6 hectares planted on a stony east-facing slope. The domaine seeks just maturity, controlled yields, and a vertical expression of the terroir, both saline and chiseled. In this context, Saint Aubin 1er Cru Derrière chez Edouard 2023 White asserts itself as one of the highlights of the range, capable of rivaling the great neighboring crus of Chassagne and Puligny.
Saint Aubin 1er Cru Derrière chez Edouard 2023 White comes from chardonnays planted in 2000 on very shallow clay-limestone soils, rich in stones, which force the vine to push its roots into the underlying white marl. The 2023 vintage, bright and homogeneous, allowed for manual harvesting of perfectly healthy grapes, combining beautiful skin maturity and fine acidity, ideal for a great white wine for aging. After a slow pressing, fermentation takes place in demi-muids and several-used barrels with only indigenous yeasts, to express the character of the place without artifice. The aging lasts twelve to eighteen months, without marked new wood, to bring volume, texture, and complexity while maintaining a straight and taut framework. The wine thus gains depth without heaviness, with a measured richness that simply balances the natural verticality of the cru. This 2023 already presents itself as a bright and vibrant high-altitude Saint Aubin 1er Cru, promised to seven to ten years of beautiful cellar evolution.
On tasting, Saint Aubin 1er Cru Derrière chez Edouard 2023 White offers a shiny pale gold robe with green reflections, announcing freshness and concentration. The nose expresses itself on a register of white-fleshed fruits and fine citrus, pear, crisp apple, grapefruit, and ripe lemon, complemented by notes of acacia flowers, damp chalk, and a delicate smoky nuance. On the palate, the attack is sharp and precise, carried by chiseled acidity and salinity that stretches the material without any heaviness. The mid-palate reveals a lace-like texture, where stony minerality blends with a slight richness, giving a subtle balance between tension and depth. The flavors evolve towards notes of zest, fresh almond, and gunflint, then the finish lengthens long on a vibrant and appetizing chalky relief. At the table, this 1er Cru will ideally accompany a sea bream or salmon tartare, a John Dory or roasted sole, a fine crayfish tart, seared scallops, farm poultry in a light sauce, or characterful pressed-paste or aged goat cheeses.
Grape variety: 100% Chardonnay
