2022 Joseph Drouhin Cote de Beaune Blanc, Burgundy

Joseph Drouhin Côte de Beaune Blanc is a beautifully pure and expressive Chardonnay that captures the heart of Burgundy’s white wine country. The Côte de Beaune is home to some of the world’s greatest white vineyards, where limestone and clay soils, cool nights and long growing seasons give Chardonnay its balance of richness, minerality and natural freshness. This wine draws on carefully selected parcels across the appellation to show that classic Burgundian harmony.

Joseph Drouhin has been making wine in Burgundy since 1880, and the family’s philosophy has always been about elegance, respect for terroir and gentle winemaking. The vineyards are farmed with a strong focus on sustainability and organic principles, and the cellar work is restrained, allowing the fruit and site to lead rather than heavy oak.

In the glass, the wine shows ripe pear, white peach and citrus, layered with subtle almond, hazelnut and a soft creamy note. The palate is medium bodied and finely textured, with bright acidity and a chalky, mineral edge giving lift and length. It is generous without being heavy, and refined without being austere.

This is a wonderful food wine. Roast chicken, grilled fish, scallops, creamy pasta, pork or rich vegetable dishes all pair beautifully with its balance of fruit, texture and freshness.

Joseph Drouhin Côte de Beaune Blanc is delicious young for its freshness and charm, but it will also develop more nutty and savoury complexity over five to eight years. It is a classic, reliable Burgundy white that offers real depth and drinkability.