As is so often the case with French wine, today’s bottle places its greatest emphasis on the vineyard it is sourced from. One look at the spectacular Manicle vineyard, the crown jewel of the Bugey region of eastern France, and it’s easy to see why: Situated at the base of a steep limestone cliff at the southern end of the Jura mountain range, Manicle—a south-facing parcel strewn with limestone boulders—is Bugey’s answer to the Grand Cru Chardonnay vineyards of Burgundy’s Côte de Beaune.
Some of you may recall our recent offer of Le Caveau Bugiste’s Pinot Noir, “Cuvée des Rocailles,” from this same charmed site, and while that wine was a winner, this Chardonnay over-achieves to an even greater degree (at the same price). The power and layered flavors of this Chardonnay knocked our socks off; it is really a marvel at this price, especially when you consider how far it has traveled from its source. Planted exclusively to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Manicle is the prized possession of Le Caveau Bugiste, a cooperative founded in 1967 and the reference-point winery in this tiny, remote region. Their 2016 “Cuvée des Éboulis” Chardonnay checks every box for us, and it will for you, too: authenticity, craftsmanship and value are all there in abundance.
The creaminess derived from bâtonnage is evident on both the nose and palate of the 2016, which combines richness and freshness as seamlessly as countless white Burgundies costing twice as much. In the glass, it’s a deep yellow-gold with green highlights at the rim, with an expressive nose of yellow apple, salted lemon, apricot, raw hazelnut, wildflower honey, and wet stones. Medium-plus in body with refreshing balancing acidity, this is a wine that takes you by surprise: you don’t expect, nor do you typically get, this impact and length at this price. Decent it about 30 minutes before serving at 50 degree in Burgundy stems, and definitely set a few bottles aside in a cool, dark corner of your cellar—it will make a delicious short-term ager, peaking in 3-5 years and continuing to evolve beyond that. The winemakers at Le Caveau Bugiste suggest “creamy poultry” with this cuvée, so we’ve obliged (see attached recipe), but there are myriad applications for this well-priced white. Don’t miss it!