Lamblin et Fils Bourgogne Blanc
Declassified Chablis never tasted as good as this delectable wine from the highly conscientious Lamblin estate. The high toned aromatics are just the beginning, as the wine resolves with crisp apple, honey and a hint of minerals. An outstanding value to say the least. Delicious!
One of the more prolific houses in Burgundy, this Chablis-based firm has been under family control for 300 years now and run by Didier Lamblin and his brother Michel.
Home base for Lamblin is on the northern edge of the village of Maligny, which is also the northernmost tip of the region’s Kimmeridgian soils.
Domain Jomain Bourgogne Blanc (Sustainable)
If you’re like me and love white Burgundy, you’ve been priced out of many of your favorites over the past years. That $30 Puligny-Montrachet is now over $100, and the once bargain of St.Aubin is now in the $50-60 range.
A true family enterprise, brothers Philippe and Christophe Jomain, along with sister Catherine, launched this Chardonnay focused Cote de Beaune domaine in 1992 with vines inherited from their father, Marc. With precious parcels in four of Puligny’s premier crus and almost an acre of hallowed ground in the Grand Cru Batard Montrachet, Domaine Jomain consistently produces a line of classically elegant white Burgs.
The Jomain tend all their vineyards meticulously by hand with careful eco-sound practices, including bio-alternative vine and soil treatments in lieu of chemicals whenever possible. Harvest is of course also manual. From vineyard to the cellar, gentle handling of their Chardonnay fruit is of paramount importance.
In the cellar, Christophe takes every measure to ensure that the individual character of each terroir is fully expressed by avoiding manipulative technological tricks and excessive use of new oak. The Jomain do like the texture-enhancing effects of extended lees contact with batonnage, but never use more than 25% new barrels during the elevage of their wines.
The Jomain family are best known for creating superb Puligny-Montrachet. And this is your chance to taste their expertise at a lower price. Once the grapes are hand-picked and pressed, this wine is aged partially in oak.
This Bourgogne Blanc is produced in the same commune and offers a good level of interest for the reasonable price. Green gold in the glass, the aromas are spicy and buttery, with some white flowers, stone fruit and citrus. Aged in steel and oak for a total of 12 months, This dry, white wine offers fruity aromas of lychee, pear, lemon, and apple while the hint of earthy mushroom adds complexity. Light, crisp, and clean, this is textbook Bourgogne.
You can think of Lamblin as a “hybrid” negociant – About 20% of Lamblin’s production comes from their own vineyard land, and the remainder from partner growers. We’ve long found tremendous value in their Bourgogne Rouge and Bourgogne Blanc bottlings, and those remain our focus from Lamblin in terms of selection.
100% Chardonnay. Meticulous sorting, fermentation and aging in steel. Pale-yellow color. Rich fruity nose, which offers beautiful citrus-fruit aromas, evolving into ripe fruits with peach dominating. This Bourgogne Chardonnay offers a good attack and is fresh and round in the mouth.