What?
Juice 2018 Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune, Clos Bartier, Jean-Noël Gagnard, Burgundy, FRA
Grape 100% Chardonnay
Farming Certified Organic, Vegan
Tasting Note On the nose this wine has notes of acacia, citrus fruits and hints of brioche. The palate is richly textured with flavours of stone fruits and subtle mineral notes. It is pure and expressive with bright acidity and good length on the finish.
Who?
This famous Domaine has been run by Caroline Lestimé, Jean Noël’s daughter, since 1989. Its 12.5 hectares of outstanding vineyards have been certified organic since 2014, and are now run biodynamically, though are not yet certified as such. Most of the estate’s vineyards are in the heart of Chassagne, with one vineyard in the Hautes Côtes de Beaune, which looks down on St. Aubin and was planted in 2015. The wines are, in the best sense of the phrase, ‘low intervention’ wines, with each expressing the character of its site.
Why?
The price point of Burgundy in general (though particularly wines from Côtes de Beaune and Côtes de Nuits) are becoming more and more unattainable for most and we think this wine offers excellent value for money considering the complexity of the wine and pedigree of the producer. Clos Bortier is a unique vineyard, sitting at an altitude of 428 metres above sea level, making it one of the highest vineyard sites anywhere in the Côte d’Or. The vines are certified organic and are enriched with biodynamic composts at the end of every winter. The soils here are a combination of silt and clay, which lend intensity and freshness to the wine.
With?
One of the all-time classic regional pairings would be Escargot drenched in garlic and parsley butter though in our humble opinion you should go no further than a roast chook, with all the trimmings, drenched in a lovely chicken jus and a massive bowl of Caesar salad. If you wanted to get fancy you could sauté some mushrooms in the pan juices with a big knob of butter and plenty of garlic. If you want to go simple hard, nutty cheeses like Comte, Gruyere or aged Gouda would be absolutely delightful as well.
