Nicolas Potel Borgoña Chardonnay Vieilles Vignes 2024

Maison Nicolas Potel was founded in 1997 as a negociant house, buying grapes from local Burgundy growers to make the wines, and this Bourgogne Chardonnay comes from old vines, the Vieilles Vignes on the label. Burgundy is famous for red, but the region is also the home of Chardonnay, and here the grape is picked from mature vineyards whose deep roots and low yields give concentration and length. The wine is raised in stainless steel with no oak, a reductive method that keeps the fruit primary and the palate lean and mineral, closer to the flinty Chablis style than to the richer barrel fermented Burgundy whites. Burgundy's limestone and marl soils give Chardonnay its stony, saline backbone, and the cool continental climate holds the crisp acidity that defines the region. Without wood there is no vanilla or toast, so the site and the vine age lead. It pours pale lemon. The nose is green apple, lemon and pear with white flowers and a faint nutty note. The palate is dry and taut, orchard and citrus fruit on a clean, mineral line, finishing crisp. Serve at 10 to 12 degrees.