Saint Aubin

Fine, pale and fresh in colour, there is a little touch of coconut on the nose. This has lovely tension and quite complex aromatics, with more white fruit than yellow. There is good weight through the middle and fine length. Drink 2018-2021.
Jasper Morris MW - Wine Buyer

The biodynamic Bachelet boys, Benoît and Jean-Baptiste, began picking on 3rd September, reporting  very good yields in white, close to the ideal, but down in red. The whites are superb again this year, scarcely showing any sense of heat, but enjoying excellent concentration with good balancing acidity. I would sign up for this every year, says Jean-Baptiste! As always, the wines will stay in barrel for nearly two years before bottling.

From high, east-facing vines close to Chassagne. This is rich and high-toned, with ruby-grapefruit acidity. The finish is long and surprisingly robust, a useful portal to the Bachelet style this year, which captures the rude health of the vintage. Drink 2021-2027


Despite the localised frosts in 2017, Bachelets yields this year are similar to 2015 and close to the average of recent years. Benot and Jean-Baptiste began the harvest on 30th August with the warmer sites of En Remilly, Blanchot Dessus and Bienvenues, and finished on 8th September in the lower-lying Derrire la Tour. Benot commented on how clean and healthy the fruit was this year; there was a little bit of mildew in the spring, but otherwise the year was problem-free. An honest, precise vintage, inhis view.

This vineyard is also home to Olivier’s extraordinary high-density Chardonnay at 28,000 vines per hectare, but on the lower slopes he has some Pinot Noir. The wine saw 50 percent whole-bunch, as usual, producing a fresh and juicy example of 2017. Drink 2021-2024.


This is another small harvest for Olivier. There was frost again in 2017 for the vineyards closest to Puligny and Oliviers detailed vineyard work on the vines badly frosted in 2016 has restricted this years yield as well. For some cuves, volumes in white for 2017 are half that of the already paltry 2016. Olivier began harvesting before his neighbours, which is not unusual, on 25th August, but he likes the style of the vintage, in particular the extra density on the palate. His reds he defines as croquant (crunchy).

Brian pondered whether climate change is helping some of Burgundy’s more marginal vineyards, such as En Remilly. St Aubin is now achieving very good levels of ripeness, as here, showing a sweet and honeyed exotic palate, with ripe, grapefruit-esque acidity. Drink 2022-2028.

Winemaker Brian Sieve draws comparisons between the white wines of 2017 and 2014, explaining that the texture, weight and freshness are very similar in both years, although 2017 has perhaps a little more fruit ripeness, along with excellent tension and persistence. He believes that this same freshness and brightness in the reds will provide ageing capacity, pointing out that they worked hard to restrict the yield of Pinot Noir to achieve riper grapes. Overall slightly less whole-bunch fermentation was used as Brian felt the stems and fruit were not as ripe as in richer vintages.

This is a blend of Olivier’s various village parcels. The volume is way down; only five barrels instead of 20, and he declassified a lot to Bourgogne Blanc. This is very fresh, with plenty of racy acidity, very much like the 2014, but without some of the flesh. Drink 2019-2022.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer

There have been Lamys growing vines in St Aubin since 1640 – today the domaine is run by Olivier Lamy in succession to his father Hubert. Olivier ceased supplying négociants in 1997, grubbing up and selling off peripheral vines, keeping only the best and oldest sites. He has been experimenting with different planting densities in a quest to capture an even greater expression of terroir. Every single one of Olivier Lamy’s vineyards in St Aubin was completely frosted; only Santenay escaped. In a strange way, this was a benefit because, when the vines began to re-flower, they did so all at the same time and there was an homogeneity of growth and maturity. Furthermore, without two differently maturing sets of grapes to contend with, the crop made up the two-week delay imposed by the frost and Olivier was able to start harvesting in Santenay on 15th September, finishing his Bourgogne Blanc from his highest vineyards in St Aubin 10 days later. Olivier suggests the style is like a lighter version of 2014. Overall his production is down about one third.

This vineyard is on the western side of the Mont Rachet, close to Puligny-Montrachet. This has a plumper feel to the palate, with more of the mealy, oaty character of that appellation. Not to be underestimated, there is splendid intensity to match the fruit and energy of the wine. Drink 2021-2027. Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

There have been Lamys growing vines in St Aubin since 1640 – today the domaine is run by Olivier Lamy in succession to his father Hubert. Olivier ceased supplying négociants in 1997, grubbing up and selling off peripheral vines, keeping only the best and oldest sites. He has been experimenting with different planting densities in a quest to capture an even greater expression of terroir. Every single one of Olivier Lamy’s vineyards in St Aubin was completely frosted; only Santenay escaped. In a strange way, this was a benefit because, when the vines began to re-flower, they did so all at the same time and there was an homogeneity of growth and maturity. Furthermore, without two differently maturing sets of grapes to contend with, the crop made up the two-week delay imposed by the frost and Olivier was able to start harvesting in Santenay on 15th September, finishing his Bourgogne Blanc from his highest vineyards in St Aubin 10 days later. Olivier suggests the style is like a lighter version of 2014. Overall his production is down about one third.