St-Aubin En Remilly

From old vines of fine quality, in what may be St Aubin’s best vineyard, this is gorgeous. After a discreet nose, the palate is full of yellow plums, white peaches and some lemon notes with excellent density.

The progress we noted with the 2013 vintage here has been further developed with an excellent range of 2014 wines. Extra details apparent this year are the enhanced use of lees after racking and the minimal use of sulphur without risking oxidation. The Château de Puligny rises a further few notches up the ladder. Étienne de Montille notes that, in 2014, “there was super clean fruit and we could pick at leisure”.

Fine, pale colour and fresh-yet-ripe apples on the nose, with real life and energy. There are some nectarines on the palate and the crisp finish that we like. Yet there is weight to it and real length.
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer

There have been some changes in vinification this year, making the wines a little more Jean-Marc Roulot in style: the grapes are now crushed before pressing, there is less settling of the juice, very little new wood is used and the wines are racked into tank after a year but still kept on their lees. The grapes were picked during the last week in September. Overall, this is an excellent result for the team at Château de Puligny.

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.

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.