The village of Rully, in Burgundy's Côte Chalonnaise remains, stupefyingly, a well-kept secret, producing Premier Cru Chardonnay that would cost twice as much if it came from 20 kilometers north. Domaine Saint-Jacques has been taking advantage of this geographic pricing anomaly since 1955, when Christophe Amédé Grandmougin bought what was once a 13th-century pilgrim's rest stop on the route to Santiago de Compostela.

Today, his son Christophe-Jean runs the show with help from the third generation—“The young ones always have the best ideas,” he likes to say. The estate encompasses 9 hectares, with 7.5 devoted to Premier Cru vineyards. They're the largest holder in the Marissou vineyard, controlling 4.5 hectares of this south-facing slope blessed with Oxfordian limestone—the same Jurassic-era rock that makes Chablis and sections of Meursault and Sancerre sing.

The conversion to organic farming began in 1991, but Christophe-Jean wasn't content to stop there. He dug out his father's old ploughs and brought in horses to work the vines, convinced that 30 years of chemical-free farming had restored something essential to the soil. “There's a certain life that I can see that I've restored,” he says, “and I think it's given a certain extra character to the wines.”

The Marissou vineyard itself is special even by Premier Cru standards. Planted at 10,000 vines per hectare—double the typical density—on that prized Oxfordian limestone, it produces Chardonnay with an almost Chablis-like mineral precision but with the richness that comes from the Côte Chalonnaise's slightly warmer climate. Hand-harvested, naturally fermented, aged with restraint—this is Burgundy made the old way, which is increasingly the new way.

WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT

• Presque Monopole: Domaine Saint-Jacques owns nearly all of Marissou, meaning they control the reputation from vine to bottle. No negotiating with other growers, no compromising on farming methods—just 4.5 hectares of perfectionist organic farming under one roof.
  

• Organic Before It Was Cool: Three decades of chemical-free farming, now certified organic and heading toward biodynamic certification. You can taste the soil health in every sip—this wine is “VIF,” as the French say: it has LIFE in it.
  

• The Limestone Factor: Oxfordian limestone gives this wine a leesy, chalky, mineral backbone that all great White Burgundy has: It's concentration through low yields and minerality, not oak, alcohol, or extraction.
  

• Built to Age: Drink it now and swoon over the apricot and wildflower honey notes, or lay it down for 15 years and watch it turn golden. At $50, you can afford to do both.

HOW TO SERVE IT

• Serve at 48-52°F—cold enough to preserve the mineral precision but not so cold you miss the stone fruit complexity. Give it 15 minutes in the glass to open up.
  

• Drink now through 2037. This has the acid and mineral structure to age gracefully for at least 15 years, developing notes of quince, honey, and toasted hazelnuts along the way. Rully ages on its acidic structure, like Chassagne or Puligny.
  

• Perfect with roasted chicken in cream sauce, grilled sea bass, or fresh crab. The combination of richness and acidity makes it incredibly food-friendly. Also stellar with aged Comté or Gruyère.