Chateau de Vaux Chardonnay 2023

BEAUJOLAIS-VILLAGES BLANC “Chardonnay” 2023 – Château de Vaux

Subtle white flower and citrus aromatics leading into a mouth-filling ripe, soft, stone-fruit palate with a persistent finish. A perfect aperitif but at its very best with fruits de mer, such as crab, prawns, scallops and langoustines. In Beaujolais, it is also a fine accompaniment to chicken in creamy, mushroom sauce.

Like all of Yannick de Vermont's vineyards, the Chardonnay was hand-picked and harvested at dawn, to ensure maximum freshness, in cooler temperatures, with the whole bunches being pressed immediately. The juice was then fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats, with regular lees stirring. The wine sees no oak barrel ageing at all.

THE BACKGROUND TO BEAUJOLAIS BLANC

The Beaujolais region is synonymous with red wine and the Gamay grape. However, since 2010, there has been a noticeable increase in Chardonnay plantings, due to growers looking to offer a more diverse range and also follow the market demand for cool-climate, fresh Chardonnays. Of a total of 14,200 hectares of vines planted in the entire Beaujolais region, Chardonnay only accounts for a total of about 410 hectares - Beaujolais Blanc (300 ha.) and Beaujolais-Villages Blanc (110 ha.) - i.e. just short of 3% of the total production. Most people consider the southern part of the Beaujolais (the Pierres Dorées) to be the best suited for Chardonnay, with its limestone and clay soils. However, in the more northerly Beaujolais-Villages sector, there are some outcrops of clay, limestone and sand that are also good ground for Chardonnay. To confuse the issue, some growers have chosen to declare their Chardonnay crops as Bourgogne Blanc but the trend is still very much to promote the uniqueness of white Beaujolais.