When we offered an older vintage of Dubois’ “Les Tremblots” years back, I had never seen or heard of the wine, so it was only fitting that it was served to me “blind.” One smell and I knew with absolute certainty it was a perfect expression of young, pedigreed white Burgundy. Then I tasted, revealing its incredible live-wire tension and long, richly textured, mineral-tinged finish. All this left me asking one question: What Côte de Beaune village was it from? My jaw slammed onto the table once “Hautes-Côtes de Nuits” was revealed. Fast forward to last month and I’m tasting their newest 2018 release, although without a proverbial blindfold this time around. And you know what? We were stunned yet again. 

The Côtes de Nuits is red Burgundy paradise, home to the most distinguished, brutally expensive, and cellar-worthy Pinot Noir in the entire world. But if you look close enough, you’ll find some bonafide Chardonnay treasure perched in the hills due west of Nuits-Saint-Georges. This is the “Hautes-Côtes de Nuits,” home to higher-elevation Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that delivers insane value. But today’s wine takes it multiple steps further: It comes from a single 0.8-hectare parcel; is overseen by a family with 400 years of winegrowing expertise; and matures in fine-grained French barrels. This everything I want from white Burgundy, without the punishing price!

Though bottling at the domaine didn’t begin 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 .8-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. 

The moment your nose dips into the glass, you know you’re dealing with something mighty special: ripe pear and yellow apple, flint, crushed white stone, lees, apricot, acacia, honeysuckle, and baking spice all roar out of the glass with high-toned elegance. That’s why I highly recommend you corral a few of your Burgundy-drinking friends and blind taste them on Dubois because some are bound to steer their conclusions towards pricier Côte de Beaune appellations. The palate is medium-bodied with structured layers and an intense mineral core that’s in a constant balancing act of opulence and vibrancy, all thanks to the 2018 vintage and beautifully preserved acidity that comes with high-altitude, hillside white Burgundy. As such, I imagine this will drink beautifully over the next 3-5 years, and could even keep evolving well beyond 2025. Enjoy!