2024 Francoise & Denis Clair - St. Aubin (750ml)

Denis Clair founded this Santenay-based domaine in 1986, building on parcels the Clair family had held in the area for generations. Today his son, Jean-Baptiste, works alongside him and has added a small négociant arm to expand the range further. The estate farms fifteen hectares split between Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with some of its best-known holdings sitting in Saint-Aubin's finest terroirs, including En Remilly and Les Murgers des Dents de Chien.

This village-level Saint-Aubin draws on the appellation's chalky, high-altitude soils, which abut Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet just to the east. Saint-Aubin's Chardonnay has built a reputation for offering real quality at a fraction of its neighbors' prices, and the domaine vinifies with a light touch aimed at preserving freshness and precision rather than richness. The Clair family was also an early adopter of grape-cooling techniques to lock in aromatic potential before fermentation.

The wine shows lovely aromatics of fresh fruit, with an elegant, chiseled structure carrying white flowers and a clean, mineral edge. It stays lively and precise from entry through finish. Pair it with poached whitefish, a chilled shellfish platter, or young Crottin.