La Soeur Cadette 2022 Bourgogne Blanc Chardonnay 750ml

November is here, the weather is chilly, and I’m hoping to coax you into the kitchen to create a gorgeous dish for this very special chardonnay. La Soeur Cadette is located in Vézelay, one of Burgundy's lesser-known, remote locales, which has maintained much of its bucolic country charm by virtue of isolation from the more glamorous, touristic Côte d’Or – it’s also a UNESCO world heritage site. It is the kind of place where the locals are always likely to suddenly burst into a raucous full-throated drinking song - and once they do you know there will be many more to come. Not surprisingly Vézelay wines are adored by Burgundians for their juicy vitality and rustic charm - perfect for quaffing when you are belting out a 'Chanson Bourguignon' or two!  Valentin Montanet is the force behind this wine, taking over his parents’ 22 hectares of organically farmed vines, and buying pristine fruit from small growers. His goal is to remind us of a simpler time in Burgundy when the alcohols were modest, and equipment was low-tech. This organic Bourgogne Blanc is wildly fermented by native yeasts in steels tanks, with minimal sulphur, in the reductive style; it’s fresh, lively, and well-structured, with an almost Chablis-like apple and mineral raciness. If for some inexplicable reason you find yourself without a few dozen fresh Burgundian snails, try to make do with a Comté cheese fondue, veal and white wine stew, or mushroom ragoût on creamy polenta.

-- DJ Kearney