Wine writer Rajat Parr describes St. Aubin as the “insider’s white Burgundy.” Wedged in a valley between Chassagne and Puligny, this town produces white Burgundy with hints of Chassagne and Puligny’s golden richness, but a less stratospheric price tag. St-Aubin has become rarer and pricier like everything else in Burgundy, but it’s still far more affordable than its famous neighbors.
At the western edge of the St. Aubin appellation lies a plot named “Murgers des Dents de Chiens.” Perched just up the hill from Montrachet itself, this St. Aubin 1er cru is a remarkable value – real, classy premier cru white Burgundy, but somehow still under $70/bot with St-Aubin’s (and Gérard Thomas’s) friendly pricing. The nose is deeper and slightly darker than the village level, with a hint more of woodsiness. The mouth is classic, with lemon curd sucrocité and a beautiful beeswax finish – it shows a similar grapeskin note as the village, but there’s more flesh around it.
Jancis Robinson’s reviewer was effusive: “Refined, understated. A very fine example of the best of Chardonnay from the Côte de Beaune but without the elevated prices of the better-known appellations. So precise! I love the focus here. Fresh, clean, mineral, the concentration is there but you don’t really see it until you let the wine linger in the mouth. Great result!”
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Thomas St-Aubin 1er cru
“Murgers des Dents de Chien” 2024
bottle price: $65
