BOURGOGNE BLANC

Olivier Lamy has built on the solid foundations his father Hubert prepared with twenty years and more of work in the vineyards. Today the Domaine has 18.5 hectares of vines - 80% are Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir. The vines are in several appellations - Saint-Aubin, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet and Santenay, as well as the excellent Bourgogne Blanc. The reputation of the domaine is now made, but the Saint Aubins, both red and white, remain some of the bargains of Côte d'Or, and challenge the supposed superiority of the grander village names on a regular basis, both in terms of young and mature wines.

Olivier's wine-making style and preference is to emphasise the fresh and the mineral side of his wines, and there is very little new wood in this cellar, with many wines with no new wood at all, and that is with the wines in 600 litre demi-muids rather that the classic Burgundy (225 litre) fût. Certainly Oliver's whites do have an arrow-like purity and intensity, and seem to age completely straight and true.

The reds are worth more than a casual mention too. Olivier has been getting some consultation help from Sylvain Pataille, and the wines have energy and bounce along with the supple tannins and ripeness.