2021 Goisot Bourgogne Côtes d’Auxerre Corps de Gard, Burgundy

When it comes to pricing, this stellar, biodynamic Domaine—one of the true stars of the greater Chablis region—remains beyond compare. Despite the crushingly low yields of recent vintages and the global demand for his wines, Guilhem Goisot’s pricing has hardly budged over the decade.
 
The wine is raised exclusively in barrel (including some 500-litre demi-muid), one-third new. It’s a wonderfully sappy and saline white with a core of quince, white peach and kernel notes and loads of spice and freshness on the close. Layered and approachable, this could accurately be listed and sold, like all of the whites of this address, as “white Burgundy”.

Goisot Bourgogne Côtes d’Auxerre Corps de Gard is one of the most distinctive and characterful whites from northern Burgundy, crafted by an estate long considered a benchmark for biodynamic precision. Guilhem and J Hugues Goisot work some of the region’s finest limestone slopes around the village of Saint Bris and the Côtes d’Auxerre, an area whose soils mirror the Kimmeridgian marl of Chablis. Corps de Gard comes from old vines rooted deeply in these ancient marine sediments, giving the wine its almost Chablis like tension, mineral drive, and remarkable depth.

The domaine farms biodynamically with meticulous care, keeping yields low and working by hand to ensure clarity and energy in the fruit. Chardonnay is picked at perfect ripeness, pressed gently, and fermented with indigenous yeasts in a combination of stainless steel and older French barrels. The wine then ages on fine lees, building texture and complexity while preserving the piercing freshness that defines this northern slice of Burgundy.

In the glass it shows pale gold with green highlights. The aroma is vivid and layered, opening with lemon zest, pear skin, and white peach followed by crushed oyster shell, flint, fennel seed, and a subtle herbal note. With air the wine reveals hints of hazelnut, chamomile, and saline breeze, reflecting both its meticulous élevage and its chalk driven terroir.

The palate is taut, concentrated, and beautifully textured. Citrus and orchard fruit glide across a spine of firm minerality, wrapped in a gentle creaminess from lees ageing. There is a sense of purity and quiet power that unfolds slowly, finishing long, savoury, and deeply mineral. It is a wine that captures the soul of northern Burgundy with precision and grace.

It pairs brilliantly with oysters, shellfish, roast chicken, sashimi, goat cheese, or pasta with herbs and lemon. It also has excellent ageing potential, developing nutty, honeyed complexity over five to eight years.