François de Nicolay - 'les Maizieres' - Chardonnay - Rully, Burgundy, FR - 2022

Satellite's Hot Take

An essential and so-sexy white Burgundy

Notes from the Winery/Importer

Really the perfect cross section of Burgundy and Natural Winemaking. This is a wine that covers all the bases, and it's made by Candon de Briailles - Which is a damn good thing. Think of this as something your grandma who loves rombauer will love, think of this as something your hip cousin living in Brooklyn is drinking on the regular.. and now you can too. We really like this. Region: Burgundy Grapes: Chardonnay Soil: clay, limestone Average Age of Vines: 10 years Farming: organic, biodynamic Harvest: by hand Winemaking: spontaneous fermentation in used 500 L barrels with indigenous yeasts Aging: 14 months in oak Fining: none Filtration: none Added S02: none

Notes on the Producer

Domaine Chandon de Briailles has been in the family since 1834. Initially there were only the Savigny-lès-Beaune and Pernand-Verglesses vineyards. Coming from two mono-varietals (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay) our wines strongly express all the authenticity of their terroir. Our Grands Crus are cultivated in the traditional method with the use of our own plough horses that unpack and give oxygen to the soils. This allows the sub-soil micro-life beneath to help feed and give nutrients to our vines. Our philosophy is a holistic respect for life that translates to balanced, healthy grapes with the capacity to produce vibrant, pure and seductive wines, so in 2005 we completely converted to biodynamic farming. We applied for certification with EcoCert and Demeter, which we received in 2011. The longer we continue farming in this way, we can see the difference in the vines. They grow differently; they seem more alive and healthy, and at harvest they are better balanced between acidity and aromas. We wanted to expand the effort beyond Chandon de Briailles, so came to be the Maison de Nicolay project. We purchase whole grapes and un-fermented grape juice from neighboring vineyards who are certified biodynamic or in the process. After inspecting the grapes during veraison and harvest, we make a selection that can support elevage without added sulphur or yeasts- wines from pure grape must. The grapes ferment and mature in our Savigny Les Beaune cellar (a very old cave), without pumpover, filtration, or sulfur and are bottled by hand via the “chevre a deux becs” method. In this way we are able to preserve the wine’s freshness and allow the terroir to express itself clearly. https://zrswines.com/wine-producer/francois-de-nicolay/

Grapes & Style

Chardonnay

Chardonnay is one of the great white grapes of Burgundy, and one of the most widely planted wine grapes in the world. It has a long history in eastern France, especially Burgundy and Champagne, and DNA work shows it as part of the same broad Pinot and Gouais Blanc family that gave us grapes like Gamay and Aligoté. It’s adaptable, easy enough to grow in many places, and capable of producing everything from simple everyday whites to some of the most ageworthy white wines in the world.

In the vineyard, Chardonnay buds and ripens relatively early, which makes it useful in cooler climates but vulnerable to spring frost. It tends to do especially well on limestone and calcareous clay, and its relatively neutral fruit profile gives site and cellar choices a lot of room to show. Malolactic fermentation, lees aging, barrel fermentation, and oak can all shape the final wine dramatically.

In the glass, Chardonnay can be lean, saline, and citrus-driven, or broad, textured, and orchard-fruited, depending on where it’s grown and how it’s made. Chablis shows the steely, high-acid side; the Côte de Beaune shows depth, texture, and savory complexity; Champagne shows its value as a sparkling-wine base. Good Chardonnay is less about one fixed flavor than about balance, texture, and the way it carries place.