ZoomLe Chat Blanc2023
Clair ObscurBourgogne Chardonnay AOC, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France
About this wine
Le Chat Blanc is Domaine du Clair Obscur's village-level Bourgogne Blanc, 100% Chardonnay drawn from parcels around the family base in Corpeau (the village immediately south of Chassagne and Puligny). Pierre and Jennifer Clair farm the entire 3.5-hectare estate organically and biodynamically; Pierre trained at Domaine de Montille and Marquis d'Angerville before going independent in 2006. Direct press, native-yeast fermentation in neutral oak, 10 to 12 months on lees with no fining or filtration; sulfur only at bottling, in small doses. The 2023 vintage carries the warmth of the year (13.5%) without losing the cellar's preference for tension over richness. The result is a Côte de Beaune Chardonnay built for the table rather than for accolades, with the saline mineral spine that defines the address.
Winemaking
Direct press, native-yeast fermentation, 10 to 12 months on lees in neutral oak. No fining, no filtration. Sulfur only at bottling, in minimal doses.