Maison en Belles Lies Sous La Roche Santenay 2020

Grape: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2020
Type: White

This white Burgundy wine is a pure varietal bottling of chardonnay from the Sous La Roche parcel in Santenay. Winemaker Pierre Fenals manages the vineyard biodynamically, focusing on rows rooted deeply in limestone rocks and shallow topsoils. The grapes are hand-harvested and undergo a spontaneous native fermentation driven by indigenous wild yeasts in neutral French oak barrels. The wine undergoes an extended maturation on its fine fermentation lees to encourage textural harmony without wood flavor dominance.

It displays a bright straw color, releasing an elegant nose of ripe orchard fruit, citrus, and chamomile over a baseline of crushed limestone. On the palate, the medium-to-full-bodied frame pairs concentrated fruit flavors with a velvety mouthfeel where roundness and smoothness blend harmoniously. Subtle notes of grilled hazelnut and acacia blossoms emerge nicely across the dense mid-palate volume. A sharp beam of natural acidity cuts through the core texture. It finishes completely dry.