Although Marsannay has only enjoyed appellation classification since 1987, the history of this terroir is long and lofty. The dukes of Burgundy, dating back to the 1300s, were known to prefer the wines derived from Marsannay’s soil above all others. There’s something special about the soil here and today’s producer provides no better expression of that. Charles Audoin and his oenologist wife Marie-Francoise, armed with four generations of wine knowledge and a hefty dose of foresight, founded Domaine Charles Audoin in 1972, which was a good seventeen years before the village received its own appellation status. As the name Marsannay has risen once again, so has the Audoin name. The Domaine started with only three hectares and has since grown to over fourteen, including some of the most respected sites in the village. In 2000, Charles and Marie-Francoise placed the reins of the family business in the capable hands of their son, Cyril, who has increasingly focused on vineyard health and heaping ample care on the family’s 45-year-old-plus vines. The wine is produced with little use of new oak (15-20% New 500L French) and bottled without fining or filtration. Domaine Charles Audoin currently produces some of the most acclaimed wine in Marsannay from some of the most treasured sites in the village. This exquisitely crafted, high-toned Chardonnay from the 2013 vintage is reminiscent of a solid Puligny-Montrachet at a fraction of the cost.