Hubert Lamy Les Frionnes 2023

Domaine Hubert Lamy is a leading name in Saint-Aubin, and the wines are now made by Olivier Lamy, who has sharpened the estate's style with high vine density and careful farming. Les Frionnes is a premier cru site in this Côte-d'Or village, where Chardonnay grows on the region's classic limestone and marl slopes. That chalky geology is the source of the wine's mineral tension and saline finish, while the cool Burgundian climate keeps acidity firm and ripening slow. The wine is aged in barrel, a traditional Burgundian élevage where slow oxygen exchange through the wood and time on the fine lees build texture, subtle toast and a creamy breadth, often with a partial malolactic conversion softening the acidity. Expect a pale, bright colour and a nose of white peach and citrus lifted by hazelnut, gentle oak and toasted bread. The palate is precise and layered, its orchard and citrus fruit framed by fine oak, a creamy mid-palate and a long, stony, saline finish that reflects the limestone. This is a detailed, ageworthy white Burgundy built on tension as much as richness. Serve at around 12 degrees in a broad glass.