Dominique Cornin Saint-Véran Les Serreuxdières 2023

Dominique Cornin farms organically at Chaintré, at the southern tip of Burgundy's Mâconnais close to the Beaujolais border, where the Serreuxdières lieu-dit has long been regarded as one of the area's finest sites. Chardonnay here grows on limestone-rich soils that give the wine its cut and its mineral character. The Mâconnais is warmer than the Côte d'Or but still cool enough for a long ripening season, producing fruit at 13% alcohol with good natural acidity. Rather than oak, the wine is raised in stainless steel for twelve months and kept on its fine lees, a method that builds subtle texture and roundness while keeping the fruit clean and precise. The colour is pale straw with a green cast. The nose is fresh and direct, with lemon, green apple and pear alongside white flowers and a hint of almond. On the palate it is dry and taut, the orchard fruit lifted by a stony, saline freshness that carries the finish. This is Chardonnay in its unoaked, terroir-driven form. Serve at 9 to 11 degrees in a white glass.