Lime peel, citrus zest and cool herbs, accompanied by a delicate chalky touch.
Palate
Lean, linear fruit with razor-sharp freshness, fine texture and a dry, saline finish – without buttered toast or vanilla.
Character
Pure and transparent: unadorned Chardonnay from the higher altitudes of the Hautes-Côtes, cool, focused and understated.
Pairing
Oysters and seafood, Sainte-Maure-style goat’s cheese, pan-fried pike-perch with herb butter.
Notes
The estate has been certified organic since 2021 and works largely without added sulphur; maturation takes place in used 228-litre casks with ageing on the fine lees – only around 10,000 bottles leave this cellar each year.
Tasting note
Character
A Chardonnay of refreshing leanness and coolness: bright citrus notes, accompanied by cool herbs and lime zest, carried by a razor-sharp, saline freshness. Dry, taut, without any sweetness from cask ageing – Burgundy in its pure, unadorned form. At 13.0% ABV, it remains pleasantly light on its feet.
Terroir & Origin
The Hautes-Côtes de Beaune lie on the heights west of the famous Côte de Beaune – a cool landscape shaped by limestone soils, which imparts tension and vibrancy to white wines. Domaine Thomas-Collardot is located in the heart of Puligny-Montrachet, run by Jacqueline Collardot and her son Matthieu. The vines trace back to Jacqueline’s grandfathers; since 2015, the estate has vinified its own wines, and since 2021, this small domaine of around 2.5 hectares has been organically certified.
Grape Variety & Vinification
Chardonnay in its quintessential Burgundian expression – here deliberately without cosmetic additives. Gentle pressing, 24 hours’ settling, maturation in used 228-litre barrels; the Bourgogne wines age for ten months on the fine lees. Filtration is light only, there is no fining whatsoever, and sulphur additions are largely eschewed. The result is a fine texture and a consistently dry, saline drive – no buttered toast, no vanilla.
Food Pairings
A wine for the table that enlivens rather than dominates: ideal with fish in light sauces, pan-fried pike-perch, mussels, or poultry with lemon and herbs. Also an excellent choice with goat’s cheese, a simple quiche, or as a refreshing start to a meal.
