Winemaker Notes

From a great year for whites, this outstanding Chardonnay is a standout. Ripe, honeyed stone fruit with hints of grilled nuts, broad-textured with typical minerality rounding out this classy white. The grapes are gently pressed pneumatically and after settling and an initial racking from solids the fermentation occurs in French oak barrels, followed by maturation on lees for 12 months with occasional batonnage.

About the Winery

Domaine du Château Philippe le Hardi (formerly Château de Santenay) was once the majestic stately home of the first Duke of Burgundy. This historic estate is one of Burgundy’s most prestigious producers with its colorful glazed roof tiles. Working in a very natural way, they farm their 200+ acres of vineyards throughout the Côte d’Or and Côte Chalonnaise. Their wines are distinctive and reflect the delicate complexities of each unique vineyard site. For the last 20 years, the domaine has been taking an environmentally-friendly approach to growing, proving itself to be a true pioneer in this respect. It has been TERRA VITIS certified since 2004 and was certified by the Ministry of Agriculture in 2009 for its use of sustainable growing methods. In 2015, it was one of the first wine domaines to receive ‘High Environmental Value’ (HEV 3) certification respecting a new set of specifications issued by the French Ministry of Agriculture. In 2016, the domaine set up an apiary close to the vineyards in order to verify that the techniques used were harmless to bees, which are very sensitive to the environment. Plans are already in place to introduce more hives.