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2018 Vézelay Blanc “La Châtelaine”

Domaine de la Cadette
Discount Eligible $32.00
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In the pages of this newsletter back in 2007 (and later reprinted in his book A Really Big Lunch), Jim Harrison describes a “nasty summer in Montana” during which a heat wave made it impossible to enjoy his typical red wine favorites. A short list of whites replaced them—the select few capable of quenching his thirst—and La Cadette’s Vezelay blanc was among them. To current vigneron Valentin Montanet, this celebrated American author’s acknowledgment is more important than Parker’s glowing 2006 Châtelaine rating. “We are very proud that Big Jim had such a good time with la Châtelaine,” he says with characteristic cheekiness. “It is a bottle that fits any need; a sure bet that comforts and brings pleasure after a long day of hard work or a long day doing nothing in particular.” Best to tuck a couple bottles away: in case of heat waves, hard work, or no work at all.

Emily Spillmann


Technical Information
Wine Type: white
Vintage: 2018
Bottle Size: 750mL
Blend: Chardonnay
Appellation: Vézelay
Country: France
Region: Burgundy
Producer: Domaine de la Cadette
Winemaker: Valentin Montanet
Vineyard: 25 years, 13.5 ha
Soil: Clay, Limestone
Aging: Wine is aged for 7 to 10 months in stainless steel before bottling
Farming: Organic (certified)
Alcohol: 12.5%

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About The Region

Burgundy

map of Burgundy

In eastern central France, Burgundy is nestled between the wine regions of Champagne to the north, the Jura to the east, the Loire to the west, and the Rhône to the south. This is the terroir par excellence for producing world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

The southeast-facing hillside between Dijon in the north and Maranges in the south is known as the Côte d’Or or “golden slope.” The Côte d’Or comprises two main sections, both composed of limestone and clay soils: the Côte de Nuits in the northern sector, and the Côte de Beaune in the south. Both areas produce magnificent whites and reds, although the Côte de Beaune produces more white wine and the Côte de Nuits more red.

Chablis is Burgundy’s northern outpost, known for its flinty and age-worthy Chardonnays planted in Kimmeridgian limestone on an ancient seabed. Vézelay is a smaller area south of Chablis with similar qualities, although the limestone there is not Kimmeridgian.

To the south of the Côte de Beaune, the Côte Chalonnaise extends from Chagny on its northern end, down past Chalon-sur-Saône and encompasses the appellations of Bouzeron in the north, followed by Rully, Mercurey, Givry, and Montagny.

Directly south of the Chalonnaise begins the Côte Mâconnais, which extends south past Mâcon to the hamlets of Fuissé, Vinzelles, Chaintré, and Saint-Véran. The Mâconnais is prime Chardonnay country and contains an incredible diversity of soils.

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Inspiring Thirst

I want you to realize once and for all: Even the winemaker does not know what aging is going to do to a new vintage; Robert Parker does not know; I do not know. We all make educated (hopefully) guesses about what the future will bring, but guesses they are. And one of the pleasures of a wine cellar is the opportunity it provides for you to witness the evolution of your various selections. Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.

Inspiring Thirst, page 171