Bourgogne Blanc, Domaine d'Aubigny 2022

Regional Bourgogne Blanc rarely gets the fanfare of its grander village and premier cru cousins, but a well-made example like this one from Domaine d'Aubigny is where you find Chardonnay stripped back to its honest, everyday self. This is lightly oaked Chardonnay with none of the theatre, just the purity. Expect pale gold in the glass, green apple and citrus on the nose, and a palate that's lean, bright and food-friendly. Domaine d’Aubigny is one of those Burgundian stories that sounds made up, but isn’t. Founded in 1132 as a métairie of the Abbaye de Mézières, the estate predates Clos de Vougeot and now sits quietly in the hills above Rully, hiding one of the largest enclosed vineyards in the Côte Chalonnaise. The single clos is so vast it spans multiple appellations, which neatly explains why “Clos” will never appear on the label, bureaucracy remains undefeated. Since taking over in 2021, Kwame Onwuachi and his partners have rebuilt the domaine as a fully organic, mixed farm. High-trained vines, grassed rows, on-site livestock and total nitrogen autonomy all feed into a thoughtful, low-intervention approach. Trained in Beaune after a previous life in San Francisco tech, Kwame brings both discipline and ambition.