Saint Véran 'Plein Vent' 2023

Plein Vent is the inaugural vintage of this cuvée. It comes from one of the finest terroirs in Saint-Véran, situated at an altitude of 420m to 450m on the ridgeline bordering Pouilly-Fuissé. I got lucky enough to buy the last 60 bottles during my visit at the estate. 

From the very first nose, you know you're in for a treat. You'll find aromas of ripe apple, honey, vanilla, white flowers like acacia, and lightly toasted bread. It's well-crafted, integrated, precise. The palate is fresh, mineral, tense, with a silky texture. There's plenty of body, and the acidity cuts through the richness brought by two years of lees aging. It's rare to come across, but this is the kind of wine that gets sommeliers and guests who ask for an "oaky Chardonnay" without even glancing at the menu, all on the same page.

Region: Burgundy, Mâconnais
Grape: 100% Chardonnay
Alcohol: 13%
Total SO2: 28 mg/L
Service: 8/10°C 

Tech facts: 
The soil consists of red clay and limestone with fossils. The vineyard is located in the lieu-dit "En Faux," which translates to "in the beech forest. Positioned on the crest of the hill, the site is aptly named "Plein Vent" (Open Wind); the constant ventilation keeps the vines free of disease, though storms can be quite violent here. This superb terroir underwent an experimental ageing process: 24 months in demi-muids (5 to 6 years old), followed by 2 to 3 months of "mise en masse" (tank settling) in stainless steel vats
Manual harvest. No SO2 added during pressing, natural malolactic fermentation. Bottled with a pinch of sulphur.  No herbicides, no mineral fertilisation, no pesticides. 50 years old vineyards. Yield is 40hL/h. Bottled without fining. Light filtration.