2014 | Domaine Sauveterre | Bouchat

This 2014 lightly macerated Chardonnay, from a single site rooted in clay and limestone, is concentrated and richly textured, with a pulpy mouthfeel. A subtle vein of volatile acidity lends freshness. Honeyed and creamy, it shows evolved candied citrus and a delicate cupboard-herb note; generous and complex, it is now entering a superb drinking window.

Formerly run by the legendary Guy Blanchard, Domaine Sauveterre is now headed by Jérôme Guichard. He tends three small Chardonnay parcels around Montbellet and a single Gamay parcel on an excellent slope in Leynes (previously shared with Philippe Jambon and Pierre Boyat before Boyat’s retirement). Jérôme prioritises fruit and flesh over overt minerality, producing deliciously pulpy whites. He expertly uses the anti-oxidative properties of lees contact to preserve fruit aromas and flavours, while the high clay soils also impart a pronounced mineral quality.