Edouard Delaunay Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Charmont Blanc 2022

	Matured on the yeasts in oak barrels
	Ripe and creamy, but also with lovely tension and freshness
	From Chardonnay harvested in the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits

Description

After a long and successful winemaking career in California and the Languedoc, Laurent Delaunay was finally able to return to his roots in 2017 and repurchase his great-grandfather Edouard Delaunay's estate, restoring it to its former glory. Since then, he has dedicated himself to producing top-quality Burgundies, from surprising villages to superior Grands Crus.

This beautiful Hautes-Côtes de Nuits can be considered the house's calling card. If only because the wine bears the name of the Château where the Delaunay family decided to settle in 1954: Château de Charmont in l'Etang-Vergy in the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits. With its elevated, relatively cool vineyards, located a stone's throw from the Grands Crus and boasting similar soil composition, Laurent Delaunay believes this region – given the current climate changes – could very well be the future of Burgundy.

He harvests the grapes by hand in various parts of the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits. The vineyards are often situated at higher altitudes and have a southwesterly exposure. This ensures that the grapes retain a beautiful freshness and can ripen perfectly.

Once in the cellar, the grapes are gently pressed. Fermentation begins in stainless steel tanks and continues in oak barrels (20% new). The wine is aged in these barrels for another eight months after fermentation, with occasional stirring of the yeasts.

And that results in a magnificent Burgundy Chardonnay, reminiscent of a Premier Cru Chablis. It has the ripeness and creaminess, but also that lovely tension and invigorating freshness. The Charmont is therefore at its best at the table, paired with a refined fish or poultry dish.