2022 Domaine Bartschi - Chardonnay Le Clos Bugey Cru Manicle (750ml)

Clément Bärtschi is a Bugey native whose path to winemaking ran through professional rugby and stints at the venerated Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Rhône Valley powerhouse M. Chapoutier, where he still serves as head winemaker. In 2019 he learned that one of the few growers on Cru Manicle, a walled twelve-hectare clos considered Bugey's most celebrated vineyard, was retiring without an heir, and he seized the chance to acquire the old-vine parcels and return to his family's ancestral ground, converting the site to organic farming along the way.

Le Clos comes entirely from Chardonnay grown on gravelly limestone and clay soils within the south-facing clos at roughly four hundred meters of altitude, harvested early by hand to preserve acidity and freshness. The grapes undergo whole-cluster pressing and spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts, then age on the lees in a mix of stainless steel and lightly used oak barrels, an approach meant to add texture while keeping the wine's mineral core intact.

The result is a vivid, saline white with aromas of citrus and warm stone, layered with orchard and stone fruit on the palate and a long, faintly toasted finish. It suits shellfish, delicate fish, mushroom risotto, or classic Savoyard cooking.