Bachelet-Monnot Saint Aubin Premier Cru en Remilly 2016 750ml

88-90 The 2016 Saint Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly was hit by frost acutely on the lower slopes but not at all on the parcel’s higher reaches. Therefore, the harvest here was reduced by 30%. It has a strict, quite stony bouquet with a light sea spray influence developing in the glass, though never as intense as the 2014 or 2015. The palate is very precise on the entry, great detail here with a touch of sour lemon lending tension and energy. What it might just lack is length and aftertaste, scarpering out of the exit door just a touch too hastily. Otherwise, this is very fine.

• Country: France
• Region: Burgundy
• Appellation: Cote De Beaune
• Sub Appellation: Saint Aubin
• Size: 750ml
• Color: White

Varietal

Chardonnay

Of all the white wine grape varietals, surely the one that has spread the furthest and is most widely appreciated is Chardonnay. This green-skinned grape is now grown all over the Old and New Worlds, from New Zealand to the Americas, from England to Chile, and is one of the first varietals people think of when considering white wine grapes. Perhaps this is because of its huge popularity, which reached a peak in the 1990s, thanks to new technologies combining with traditional methods to bring the very best features out of the Chardonnay grape and allow its unique qualities to shine through. Most fine Chardonnay wines use a process known as malolactic fermentation, wherein the malic acids in the grape juice are converted to lactic acids, allowing a creamier, buttery nature to come forward in the wine. No grape varietal is better suited to this process than Chardonnay, which manages to balance these silky, creamy notes with fresh white fruit flavors beautifully.