2020 St Aubin Blanc, Sur le Sentier du Clou, 1er Cru, Domaine Henri Prudhon, Burgundy
About this WINE
Domaine Henri Prudhon
Brothers Vincent and Philippe are gently modernising this Saint Aubin domaine, which was founded in 1921. They follow in the footsteps of their father, Gérard, who inherited the estate from his father Henri.
The brothers have vineyard holdings in Saint-Aubin, Chassagne Montrachet and Puligny Montrachet, which total 14.5 hectares.
Saint Aubin
Though tucked away in a side valley behind the two ‘Montrachet’ villages, Saint-Aubin is a great source of fine, steely white Burgundy and some attractively fruity reds. Production used to be about 50:50 between the two colours, but the whites have become the more sought-after and now represent two-thirds of the crop. There is a significant difference however between the best Premiers Crus – such as En Remilly – and the vineyards tucked away further up the valley.
- 80 hectares of village Saint-Aubin
- 156 hectares of Premier Cru vineyards (15 in all). The finest include En Remilly, Murgers des Dents de Chien, La Chatenière, Les Frionnes
- Recommended producer: Hubert Lamy
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is often seen as the king of white wine grapes and one of the most widely planted in the world It is suited to a wide variety of soils, though it excels in soils with a high limestone content as found in Champagne, Chablis, and the Côte D`Or.
Burgundy is Chardonnay's spiritual home and the best White Burgundies are dry, rich, honeyed wines with marvellous poise, elegance and balance. They are unquestionably the finest dry white wines in the world. Chardonnay plays a crucial role in the Champagne blend, providing structure and finesse, and is the sole grape in Blanc de Blancs.
It is quantitatively important in California and Australia, is widely planted in Chile and South Africa, and is the second most widely planted grape in New Zealand. In warm climates Chardonnay has a tendency to develop very high sugar levels during the final stages of ripening and this can occur at the expense of acidity. Late picking is a common problem and can result in blowsy and flabby wines that lack structure and definition.
Recently in the New World, we have seen a move towards more elegant, better- balanced and less oak-driven Chardonnays, and this is to be welcomed.
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Description
Fermented and aged in around 25% new oak, Prudhon’s Sur le Sentier du Clou is an excellent example of the refreshing and charming wines of Saint Aubin. The nose offers a fruity yet sophisticated mix of ripe citrus fruit, spicy oak and subtle struck-match reduction. The palate is filled by a wave of stone and citrus fruit, neatly kept in check by brisk acidity and a fine, chalk-dust texture. The finish is long and satisfying, with notes of subtle vanilla oak.
Drink now – 2030
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (April 2023)
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