Community Tasting Note

Parrymbe wrote:

Sunday, September 13, 2015 - Domaine Didier Larue, Saint-Aubin Blanc 1er Cru, Vieilles Vignes 2013: In a time where the wines of neighbours Puligny and Chassagne are reaching eye-watering prices, the village of Saint-Aubin, with its rocky, limestone-laden soils and great exposure, seems like the obvious choice for sourcing minerally whites with a racy acidity. Brothers Didier and Denis Larue (recently joined by Denis’s son Bruno) have run this 15-ha family Domaine since 1985 and their vineyards are located not only in the best premier crus Saint-Aubin but also in Puligny and Chassagne. The wines are unapologetically mineral, dry and precise, like all great white Burgundies and most have serious ageing potential but can also deliver immense pleasure when drunk young. The ‘Vieilles Vignes’ is Chardonnay from 80 year-old vines. The grapes are transported in small skips from the vineyards, crushed, and put through a pneumatic press. Solids are separated out and the must is run off into oak barrels (1/4 of them new) for alcoholic fermentation. Maturation on lees lasts 10-12 months with occasional stirring. Then the wine is finally racked off and bottling takes place in the cellar. A clear light-golden in colour. A complex, buttery nose suggesting hazelnut and peach. On the palate, dry, mid-weight with a lovely mouthfeel and a soft, juicy acidity. The finish is fairly short but intense with notes of lemons and limes. Try with roast fillet of veal with Dublin Bay Prawns, lobster and chicken fricassee with spring vegetables or wild duck served with a quince puree.

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