Domaine Hubert Lamy - Saint Aubin - La Princée 2023
Domaine Hubert Lamy is among the most sought-after names in the Côte de Beaune, located in Saint Aubin on cool, limestone hillsides that are renowned for great Burgundian Chardonnays. Olivier Lamy continues the work initiated by his father with a very precise approach to each plot, playing with planting densities, harvest dates, and meticulous aging to gain energy and purity. The vines destined for La Princée bring together several terroirs of Saint Aubin on stony clay-limestone soils, offering a cross-sectional reading of the appellation. The vineyard is managed with controlled yields and a constant pursuit of balanced ripeness, an essential condition to produce wines that are both upright and fleshy. In the cellar, long pressing, limited use of new oak, and extended aging in barrels then tanks aim to preserve the wine’s tension and salivating dimension. In this context, Saint Aubin La Princée 2023 stands out as the domain’s emblematic village cuvée, a true calling card of the Lamy style.
La Princée 2023 comes from Chardonnay vines planted in the 1980s on a group of plots totaling about three hectares, all located on the typical stony clay-limestone soils of Saint Aubin. The 2023 vintage, marked by a beautiful uniformity of ripeness and relatively cool nights, allowed for hand harvesting of perfectly healthy grapes, concentrated but endowed with fine acidity. After a long and gentle pressing, fermentation takes place over nearly three months in 300 and 600-liter barrels, exclusively with indigenous yeasts, to fully express the terroir. The aging continues for about fifteen months in barrels, with very little new oak, then several months in tank to refine the balance and tighten the structure. This patient work gives birth to a village white wine of great precision, with a crystalline, saline, and perfectly chiseled profile, already accessible but with enough architecture to evolve for a few years in the cellar. La Princée 2023 thus confirms its status as an essential reference for discovering the domain’s whites.
On tasting, Saint Aubin La Princée 2023 presents a pale gold robe with green reflections, bright and clear. The nose opens with a refined bouquet of fresh citrus, lemon and grapefruit, crunchy pear and white peach, complemented by delicate floral notes and a chalky touch evoking the limestone of Saint Aubin. On the palate, the attack is straight and tense, then the mid-palate gains breadth with a fine, almost tactile texture, supported by perfectly integrated acidity. The aromas of white fruits and citrus mingle with a very discreet woody patina, bringing volume and complexity without ever weighing down. The finish is long, stretched, of great purity, marked by an appetizing salinity and beautiful noble bitters that invite the next sip. At the table, this Saint Aubin La Princée 2023 will be the ideal companion to sea bream ceviche, salmon tartare, pike-perch or turbot with light cream, roasted poultry with herbs, or matured goat cheeses and delicate pressed cheeses like young Comté.
Grape variety: 100% Chardonnay
