St-Aubin En Remilly

Again, this is an attractive pale primrose colour. Its rich, beguiling nose is redolent of pears and plums. The weight is there: it’s soft, rounded and mouthfilling, very complete, very long and with enough tension. This is completed by a superb finish with a little lively lemony note.

Olivier Lamy went through his red vineyards three times before the 2014 harvest to remove any damaged berries, which especially posed a risk on the clay soils. The white crop, meanwhile, was superb, with healthy grapes and a respectable yield; picking began on 12th September. Olivier notes excellent definition between the different terroirs, which he says is typical of a cooler year. He plans to give the whites a slightly longer élevage than usual, while using minimal new oak, about 10 percent for the Premiers Crus.

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”.

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.

During the last year, Etienne de Montille, who has run Château de Puligny-Montrachet for the last decade, bought out the previous owners. 2012 will therefore be the first vintage of the new regime and also the first which will be fully certified organic after completion of the necessary three years. In 2011 the Château has produced a good crop of white wines, with old-fashioned low alcohol levels in both the reds and whites: wines originally found to be around 12% abv have been adjusted to 12.5% abv, anything above that was untouched. This lovely wine has an attractive perfume of little white flowers, stones and a fresh herb or two greet the nose of this wine. It is really striking, with perfect pitch and poise, whilst also being very refreshing. Very enjoyable.
Jasper Morris MW,  Burgundy Director

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.

This is made from one old-vine block and one which has been top-grafted from red. Some gunflint, the wine has a tight, concentrated, mineral nose, not lush, but very classy and intense. The palate has tingling minerals with a huge weight of fruit behind, lively and impressive. The vintage worked really well here. Drink 2018-2023.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer

The harvest began on 28th August, with acceptable but still slightly low volumes, very similar to the immediately previous vintages. Already certified as organic, the château’s wines will also be certified (Biodivin) as biodynamic from 2017. This has become a seriously good address for white Burgundy in recent vintages. The 2015s have an excellent weight of fruit married to good acidity.