2020 Domaine de Chanteclair Bourgogne Blanc 750 ml

In the not-too-distant past, back when our Master Sommelier, Sur Lucero, was making his rounds on The French Laundry floor, he had no trouble sourcing a great Meursault or Puligny-Montrachet he could pour for $20 a glass.

Those days are LONG gone. Demand has exploded while the acreage of vines in the Côte d’Or’s most prized villages has stayed the same. Today, it can be difficult to get great Chablis at a reasonable price, let alone bottles from the very apex of Beaune terroirs.

This fact has led sommeliers—even those with the best connections—to seek out vital new sources for Bourgogne Blanc. Sur is at the razor’s edge of that search, and he recently STUNNED the Wine Access tasting table with an exclusive French Chardonnay deal that delivers massive value and quality from a region few would expect: Beaujolais.

A peculiarity of terroir accounts for the location of this hidden gem, and it’s why you so rarely see white wines from Beaujolais, period. The defining soil of this region south of the Mâconnais is granite. However, a few pockets of limestone are interspersed throughout the area—and it’s on these spots that Chardonnay thrives, just as it does throughout the Côte d’Or. 

Chardonnay accounts for only 3% of planted vineyards in Beaujolais, so top releases like this one are a revelation—and an amazing value. The founders behind the Chanteclair label own some of the best vineyard slopes in the area, and sourced most of this 2020 release from sites around the village of Jarnioux.

Matured in stainless steel for purity and clarity, this is exactly the kind of by-the-glass bargain sommeliers are dying to get on their menus.