Chardonnay

Sextant is the project of Julien Altaber, a negociant winemaker based in St Aubin, Burgundy. For Julien, Sextant is about "Special cuvées, pet-nats, skins, fun and non-traditional wines". The cellar is seen as a place to experiment and create, rather than only making terroir-based wines with big appellation names.

Originally from the Auvergne, Julien Altaber started his career at the side of Dominique Derain in Saint-Aubin. Keen to produce his own cuvées, the two struck a deal whereby Julien would continue to help Dominique - all the while learning his trade - and in return he would help Julien source fruit and loan him the use of his cellar to produce his wines. Julien has now taken over from Dominique and runs both Derain and Sextant. Julien owns a 90-year-old Aligoté parcel plot in Puligny that he bought in 2009, and he also works with several organic growers in the Côte de Beaune and Côte Chalonnaise. A little Gamay and Pinot Gris comes in from Beaujolais as well.

The Chardonnay comes from a biodynamic fruit grower in the Cote Chalonnaise called Damien Gressard and various plots around St Aubin. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel and is finished in old barrels, where it stays for around a year. The 2021 vintage was challenging throughout Burgundy, making Julien's achievements with this Bourgogne Blanc even more impressive. This wine is all about finesse - its richness of fruit and texture is deftly underlined by '21's hallmark acidity. A joy to drink !

Tasting Notes : Rich and vibrant, preserved lemon, lemon curd.

Food Pairing : Something rich and comforting like sole meunière, buttery roast chicken or a generous piece of Brillat-Savarin.

__________________________________________________

The Geeky Stuff :

• Grapes : 100% Chardonnay
• Viticulture : Organic
• Harvesting : Manual
• Yeast : Wild
• ABV : 12.5%
• Elevage : 12 months in old barrels
• SO2 : Minimal at Bottling