2022 Saint Aubin Blanc, Le Charmois, 1er Cru, Domaine Simon Colin, Burgundy
Critics reviews
Glowing pale primrose. Less sulphur apparent, more in primary fruit, this is very stylish, a mix between the chiselled fresh limestone approach of classical St-Aubin and the slightly softer fruit as you approach Chassagne. Excellent finish with good persistence.
Drink 2026 - 2030
Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burugndy (October 2023)
About this WINE
Domaine Simon Colin
Domaine Simon Colin is an estate in Chassagne-Montrachet in Burgundy’s Côte de Beaune. The Colin name is a byword for quality in the southern tip of the Côte d’Or. Simon Colin, son of Philippe, represents the latest and, arguably, most exciting addition. Having worked for four years with Benoît Riffault at Etienne Sauzet while producing some négociant wines, he decided to strike out in the 2021 vintage with his own vines. With a clear idea of how he wants to make wine, he took back just over nine hectares from his father and began his inaugural vintage in 2021, located in his father’s old cellars on the small industrial estate on the edge of the village. Organic conversion is underway, with biodynamics to follow once he has a big enough vineyard team.
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.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
All fruit for the Domaine is owned by either Simon, or his father or grandfather. A hallmark of the vintage, this Saint-Aubin is incredibly approachable with sweet, white fruits layered over creamy vanilla notes and hints of toast and pastry. A nice core of lime citrus gives lift and elegance. Drink 2025-2035.
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