Saint-Romain White
White Saint-Romain: fresh, chalky Chardonnay from the high valley above Meursault and Auxey-Duresses.
What defines white Saint-Romain
Saint-Romain is a village appellation set in the hills above Meursault and Auxey-Duresses, among the highest vineyards of the Côte de Beaune. The elevation and cooler exposure give Chardonnay with citrus, green apple, white flowers and a chalky finish, with notable freshness. The appellation has no premiers crus, so the interest lies in the named sites and the growers.
The sites we hold
Sous le Château lies beneath the ruined château of the upper village, on limestone soils. Combe Bazin is a named vineyard site within the appellation. Les Cinq Climats, from Domaine Alain Gras, blends fruit from five parcels across the commune. Village wines from Fabien Coche and Coudurier-Jung complete the range.
How to choose and when to open
Saint-Romain is a white for those who like tension and freshness over richness, and it opens early. Our cellar notes give 3 to 8 years for most of these wines. Serve between 12 and 14 °C. They suit oysters, shellfish, grilled fish and goat cheese.
The growers we hold
Domaine Alain Gras, which Alain Gras took over in 1979 and was the first of his line to bottle rather than sell to the négoce, with Sous le Château and Les Cinq Climats. Prunier-Damy, also in Sous le Château. François Carillon, from Puligny-Montrachet, with Combe Bazin. Fabien Coche, from Meursault. Coudurier-Jung, an urban micro-winery on the Faubourg Bretonnière in Beaune.
Saint-Romain also makes a small amount of red wine; Alain Gras's Saint-Romain Rouge is in our Côte de Beaune red collection.