Chardonnay and Riesling–no grapes are more misunderstood and maligned by the general public yet adored by the wine community. Riesling for its many bargain bottles loaded with sugar and no brightness, no real stuffing of any kind beyond that. Chardonnay, well, that conversation is a bit more complicated.
Most of those with bad experiences will shout their reasons from the mountain tops. Too much oak! I hate butter! It's those darn California Chardonnays I tell you! And look, I'm not here to say there isn't a lot of bad Chardonnay out there. But it discriminates against no region or country. You can get slop from anywhere, from the hands of cynical farmers, winemakers, or corporate conglomerates.
But in the hands of those with real talent, real appreciation for the land, and real...let's call it, give a damn...there's no other white grape variety on Earth that commands the intrigue, the obsession, and the prices of Chardonnay. Especially from Burgundy.
In celebration of harvest kicking off (or even wrapping up) in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere, we decided to devote this month's wine club to the wonderful world of White Burgundy. While Chardonnay is the main attraction here, it's not the only show in town. Sure there's Sauvignon Blanc up in Saint Bris and a little Pinot Gris here and there (Domaine de l'Arlot says hi), but it's Aligoté that acts as the Robin to Chardonnay's Batman.
Diving into Burgundy takes real intention. Between the regulations, geography, geology, and producers, there's more than enough to occupy a lifetime. What makes it so dense and such an undertaking is also what makes it so magical and intriguing. No one, and I do mean no one, ever truly masters Burgundy. The best part, though? You don't need to. The wines speak for themselves whether you can break down the differences between Rully and Chassagne or not. All that's required of you this month, and any time really, is to pop open the wines and take them as they are. We trust you'll love what you find.
Without further ado, here are the wines included in this month's clubs!
Entry-Level Club
Olivier Leflaive Bourgogne Aligoté 2023
Few names in Burgundy carry a legacy like Leflaive. Olivier first looked outside their historic holdings in the mid-80s, with an eye towards forming partnerships with grape growers farming to the same standards as his own family's domaine (primarily in Chassagne and Meursault). The wines have never been better, from something as humble as his Bourgogne Aligoté to the Grand Cru tier. Fermented in used oak before aging in stainless until bottling, this is a wine of intensity and purity. Super bright, super fresh. These wines always present excellent value in a place where you can't use that word lightly.
Patrick Piuze Bourgogne Tonnerre Boutots 2025
Chablis has always been an easy entry point for folks new to White Burgundy. Crystalline, piercing Chardonnay without the overt influence of new oak. And Patrick Piuze, a Montreal-native, crafted the first Chablis I fell in love with. The wines of Tonnerre are just southeast of Chablis but similarly styled. Citrus forward, bright mineral acidity, and the kind of finish that just keeps coming. In a region where mechanization is the norm, Piuze's dedication to hand harvesting and farming focus keeps these wines immensely bright and welcoming.
Daniel et Julien Barraud Mâcon-Fuissé Les Chailles 2024
While the Mâconnais was once defined by its most simple wines, often on retail shelves for under $20, there's a real renaissance happening and it's not based on new names r new approaches. It's us, the industry, finally catching onto what's been going on for a while. The Barraud family has been growing and making wine for 120 years in Vergisson and the wines are spectacular. This is a single vineyard planted 45 years ago at 450m altitude, laced with limestone. The wine itself is loaded with pure stone fruit, crisp salinity, and a beautifully luscious mouthfeel.
Premium Club
Christophe Chablis Vieilles Vignes 2023
Real deal Chablis, this. Sébastien Christophe's winemaking career truly began in 1999 once he started to vinify some of his grandfather's parcels in Petite Chablis. Now, his holdings span the appellation (including premier crus. His Vieilles Vignes, old vines, bottling comes from a parcel planted in 1959 and is everything we look for in great Chablis. Packed with density and a mineral core, with everlasting freshness and taught fruit. This wine has a ton to offer today, but will continue maturing for the next 5-10 years with brilliant results.
Domaine Saint Jacques Rully Blanc 2023
When I was first tasted on Domaine Saint Jacques, I'll admit that I was quite surprised. In a village as small as Rully, south of Chassagne in the Cote Chalonnaise, it's hard to be undiscovered. But that's the beauty of working with boutique importers, they find the wines and we get to share them with you. This is classic Rully, with a bit more richness and a bit more of a fleshed out mid-palate thanks to the clay-limestone soils here. It's a wine that, frankly, tastes more expensive than it is.
Seiichi Saito is one of my favorite stories in Burgundy. A Japanese-expat, he came to study in Burgundy back in 2006, before returning two years later to work at famous domaines like Simon Bize, Rousseau, Leflaive, and others. Then, in a stunning twist, he opened up restaurant La Lune in Beaune. That was three years before founding his micro-negroce project, Petit-Roy. Seiichi farms using biodynamic practices and is a leader in Burgundy's emerging natural movement. These wines are highly allocated and super limited, so we're thrilled to share them in this month's club.
Cellar Add-On
Bruno Colin Bourgogne Blanc 2021
One of my favorite producers, and one whose wines have been oddly difficult to find in the market recently. This was a go-to for me as a sommelier early in my career. James and I are both fans of slightly cooler vintages in Burgundy, which applies to 2021, and anytime we get to share wines with a little bit of age at a great value, we do it!
Collector Add-On
Bachelet-Monnot Chassagne-Montrachet 2022
More back vintage fun and a producer that Popina has been behind for years. These are wines that toe the line between reduction and opulence, flashing plenty of accessible elegance while also remaining coy and coiled. They crushed it in 2022.