Jean Claude Boisset Santenay Passetemps Premier Cru Blanc 2020

JCB! Napa’s most famously flamboyant rapscallion just so happens to be a Frenchman with some fantastic White Burgundies in the family portfolio...like this 96 POINT Premier Cru stunner from Santenay! Over 30% OFF too?! This is elegant, voluptuous, and minerally-tinged chardonnay sure to delight at a remarkable price!

Santenay is the most southerly commune of the Côte de Beaune in Burgundy, at the base of the southern extremity of the limestone ridge that signifies the end of the Côte d'Or. The limestone-based soils, so favorable for fine viticulture, thin out just to the north of Santenay itself, but the commune still has its own share of Premier Cru vineyards, concentrated in its northernmost corners, where Santenay borders Chassagne-Montrachet. One such lieu-dit in this corner of Santenay is the Boisset’s climat of "Passetemps". Composed of two side-by-side plots of chardonnay on a hillside located just below the "Clos des Mouches" vineyard, these vines enjoy a southeast exposure and benefit from a layer of nutrient-rich clay soil atop limestone bedrock. The result is a rich and layered wine that balances ripe fruit flavors, tremendous depth, and uplifting minerality.

While 2020 is considered a hit-and-miss vintage for Burgundy reds, white wines in the vintage were almost universally exceptional. The fruit enjoyed a long hang-time, with a concentrated acidity and fruit flavors that never became overripe or dull. The results stack up with some of the most classic White Burgundy vintages in recent memory...all with a fair yield to boot!

Aged for 18 months with no racking or stirring, the wine rests in 35% new French oak barrels that had been toasted at low temperatures to impart a subtle, delicate touch of oak. The aromas reveal the toasty notes of barrel, but are deftly restrained by exotic fruits of mandarin orange, key lime, and Champagne mango. The spice note shows bergamot tea and lemongrass, with a creamy and rich finish of lightly browned butter and quince paste. This is a supple and forward White Burgundy sure to please lovers of Puligny-Montrachet or Premier Cru St. Aubin – warm and hedonistically pleasing without sacrificing its tension and verve. All this for under $50 makes this a steal not to be missed!

PAIRING IDEAS: Salt-crust baked halibut with a medley of spring vegetables. Finish the filet with a knob of butter and a hearty squeeze of lemon, and prepare to tuck in!