Philippe Le Hardi Clos de la Chaise Dieu Blanc Monopole 2022 750ml

Bright, pale gold. The nose is bursting with notes of fresh fruit, white peach and citrus with a delicate touch of fresh hazelnut. The palate is lively, full, and balanced. Long and refreshing, this is a superb Burgundy. Situated in the commune of St. Aubin, this single monopole vineyard lies on a south-south-west facing hillside, very near the Chateau’s plot “En Vesvau”. This predominantly limestone area consists of light clay and sand on top of a limestone fault; the Chardonnay benefits from perfect drainage conditions, resulting in the production of elegant white wines. Most of the fruit was hand harvested. The wine was aged on its lees (30% in oak barrels and 70% in oak casks) before being bottled.

• Country: France
• Region: Burgundy
• Appellation: Cote De Beaune
• Sub Appellation: Hautes Cotes De Beaune
• 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.