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Domaine Dubois, Hautes-Côtes de Nuits “Les Tremblots” Blanc

Burgundy, France 2016 (750mL)
$25.00
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Domaine Dubois, Hautes-Côtes de Nuits “Les Tremblots” Blanc

I looked at the wine as it splashed into my glass with brilliant silver-yellow hues and dipped my nose in to find a near-perfect expression of young white Burgundy. Then I tasted, revealing its incredible live-wire tension and a long, savory, mineral-flecked finish. All of these descriptors led to one thing: Was it Meursault or Puligny? Our jaws slammed to the table upon the reveal. It was white Burgundy, yes, but not the price or place we had expected…
The importer flashed us the label: Domaine Dubois’ “Hautes-Côtes de Nuits” and the entire wine team did a triple-take. Chardonnay from the Côtes de Nuits? Perched up in the hills due west of Nuits-Saint-Georges, this is largely high-elevation Pinot Noir country. Still, it only took one glass of Dubois’ expression to fool us into thinking it was from a world-class white Burgundy appellation. And then, we learned about the $25 price tag. Are you kidding me? It may sound strange, but this feels expensive—it’s not showy or overly-anything, it’s just masterfully sculpted, perfectly poised white Burgundy that drinks 2-3 times above its rock-bottom price. Further, it hails entirely from a single vineyard and is crafted by a family with a winegrowing history that dates back well over 400 years. Unmatched pedigree, tiny production numbers, and off-the-charts price to quality? Check them all off. This is the white Burgundy value of the year right now, and you won’t find it anywhere else. Enjoy!
Though domaine bottling didn’t begin here until the second half of the 20th century, the Dubois family has a paper trail that traces their winegrowing heritage all the way to the early 1600s. Sit back for a moment and ponder that scope of time: We’re impressed to see a second- or third-generation farmer in today’s America, yet the Dubois’ have racked up nine consecutive generations that have committed their lives to the grape. That staggering amount of history will always astound me. 

The Dubois family currently owns 21 hectares of vines that are spread throughout 20 appellations. Such is the life of a Burgundy grower. Hautes-Côtes de Nuits is a high-elevation appellation that hugs the western slopes of the lower half of Côte de Nuits, starting just above the hill of Grand Cru Corton and ending right before Chambolle-Musigny. Dubois’ bottling specifically comes from a .08-hectare parcel within “Les Tremblots,” a single vineyard that they farm sustainably. The grapes are pressed in their small cellar and allowed to settle in stainless steel vats before being transferred into new and used French oak barrels for under one year. 

Dubois’ 2016 Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Blanc should be treated like its flashier contemporaries a few miles south because it smells and drinks just like them! After a 30-minute decant, the wine unfurls with a luxurious concoction of spiced yellow apples, Meyer lemon, acacia, vanilla bean, pineapple, creamy hazelnut, wet stone, and a delicate touch of honey. Really, the moment your nose dips into the glass, you know you’re dealing with something mighty special. That’s why I highly recommend you corral a few of your Burgundy-drinking friends a blind taste them on Dubois—they will most certainly steer their conclusions toward the pricier Côte de Beaune appellations. The tension-filled palate builds with minerality, baking spice, and lush yellow fruits that slowly meld and simmer harmoniously on the long finish. Savoring a glass of extremely classy white Burgundy is one of the great wine experiences imaginable but rarely is it this affordable, so stock up and enjoy your stash over the next 3-5 years! If serving with food, head over to your local fish market, pick out a few fillets of fresh sole, or even turbot, and follow the attached recipe to create a wonderful pairing. Cheers!
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Country
France
Region
Burgundy
Sub-Region
FranceHautes-Côtes de Nuits
Soil
Clay, Chalk, Limestone
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Chardonnay 100%
Alcohol
12.5
OAK
New & Used French
TEMP.
55
Glassware
Burgundy Stem
Drinking
Now-2022
Decanting
30 Minutes
Pairing
Baked Fish w/ Lemon Cream Sauce

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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