Au Pied du Mont Chauve : Saint-Aubin 1er cru "Pitangerets" 2021

Tasting characteristics and advice for the Saint-Aubin 1er cru "Pitangerets" 2021 from Au Pied du Mont Chauve

Tasting

Appearance

The wine displays a pale yellow hue with green highlights, characteristic of Burgundy’s great white wines.

Nose

The nose reveals fine aromatic complexity, with fresh notes of citrus and white flowers. The pronounced minerality adds a distinctive limestone dimension, evoking chalk and flint.

Palate

On the palate, the wine charms with its elegance and refined structure. The attack reveals vibrant freshness carried by aromas of white-fleshed fruit and citrus. Its silky texture is paired with beautiful mineral density that shapes the whole. The lingering finish leaves a chalky impression typical of the terroir, enhanced by subtle toasty notes from aging.

Food and wine pairings

This Saint-Aubin 1er cru "Pitangerets" 2021 pairs ideally with fine fish such as turbot or sole, as well as seafood and shellfish. It also matches perfectly with butter- and herb-roasted poultry, or with cooked-pressed cheeses such as Comté.

Serving and cellaring

Serve this Saint-Aubin 1er cru "Pitangerets" 2021 between 10 and 12°C to fully appreciate its aromatic finesse. Enjoy through around 2028.

A Saint-Aubin Premier Cru with a pronounced mineral character

The estate

The daughter of one of Burgundy’s greatest winegrowing families, Francine Picard took over in the late 1990s the estate historically run by her father. Domaine Au Pied du Mont Chauve spans the communes of Chassagne-Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet and Saint-Aubin, at the heart of some of Burgundy’s finest climats and terroirs.

With a desire to create synergy between the land and the wines, Francine Picard farms her parcels in keeping with biodynamic principles and works with passion and extreme attention to produce wines that reflect the identity of their terroir.

From a vineyard covering 110 hectares farmed using « agro-ecology », the chardonnay and pinot noir of Domaine Au Pied du Mont Chauve are renowned for their quality, precision and elegance.

Since May 2019, Antoine Lepetit de la Bigne, a specialist in biodynamic viticulture, has joined the Domaine team as Technical Director.

The vineyard

The Climat Pitangerets lies at the foot of the slope, between the Chassagne stone quarry and the Montrachet hill. The terroir is distinguished by an exceptional richness in limestone and calcareous scree resulting from the erosion of the bedrock. This mineral composition gives the Saint-Aubin wines from this parcel a distinctive chalky minerality and an elegant structure. The estate manages this vineyard according to biodynamic principles, using natural preparations and controlled ground cover.

The vintage

After three consecutive years of early harvests, the 2021 vintage marks a return to a more traditional schedule in Burgundy. A relatively mild, wet winter was followed by a cool spring, particularly in May. The devastating April frost affected the entire Burgundy vineyard, hitting especially the chardonnay parcels already advanced in their vegetative cycle. Thankfully, June temperatures enabled rapid flowering under ideal conditions. The unsettled, rainy summer required significant canopy management, before dry, windy conditions set in from mid-August, promoting optimal ripening. Harvest took place from mid-September to early October, with rigorous grape selection.

Winemaking and aging

The grapes for Saint-Aubin 1er cru "Pitangerets" 2021 are hand-harvested in small wooden crates to preserve their integrity. Upon arrival at the winery, they are meticulously sorted on a selection table. Winemaking follows the estate’s commitment to natural principles, with aging in French oak barrels that brings complexity and structure while preserving the purity of the fruit and the mineral expression of the terroir.

Grape variety

100% chardonnay