Santenay White
White Santenay, village and premier cru: Chardonnay from the southern end of the Côte de Beaune.
What defines white Santenay
Santenay, at the southern end of the Côte de Beaune, is planted mostly to Pinot Noir, so its white wines are less common. They are Chardonnay, from limestone and gravel, and they reflect the commune's position: fresh, citrus-driven whites with green apple, a white-flower note and a light mineral edge, some fuller and riper depending on the site and the grower.
The sites
Clos des Gravières is a premier cru with gravelly, well-drained soil, used here for Chardonnay. En Charron and Champs Claude are village lieux-dits. A plain village Santenay blanc blends several parcels of the commune.
How to choose
White Santenay is a sound alternative to the more expensive whites of Chassagne-Montrachet next door. For the most precise style, choose Bachey-Legros's premier cru Clos des Gravières. For fresh, early-drinking village whites, Bachey-Legros En Charron, Lucien Muzard Champs Claude or Françoise et Denis Clair's village wine. Marc Colin's Santenay is fuller and riper.
How long to keep and how to serve
Our cellar notes give 3 to 8 years for village whites and a little longer for the premier cru. Serve between 12 and 14 °C. These wines suit grilled fish, shellfish, seafood salad, roast chicken and goat cheese.
The growers
Bachey-Legros is a family estate in Santenay since the nineteenth century, run since 2008 by the brothers Samuel and Lénaïc across around eighteen hectares. Lucien Muzard et Fils traces its history back to 1645 and is run by the ninth generation, Claude and Hervé Muzard. Françoise et Denis Clair, founded in 1986, is run by Jean-Baptiste Clair. Marc Colin works from Saint-Aubin.