Combien Combier?

2008 Saint-Veran “Les Mandeliers”, Domaine Arnaud Combier
The winery is situated in the village of Pierreclos whilst the vines for the Saint Véran are planted in the commune of Prissé. Arnaud Combier studied viticulture and winemaking for four years at Beaune, then worked in different vineyards, such as Domaine Valette at Chaintré, and Domaine Colbois at Chablis, before taking over the vines from his grandparents in 1999, at which point the vineyard was associated to the cooperative.  Arnaud withdrew from the cooperative in 2003, so that he could produce his wines under his own name.

The estate is in its 2nd year of conversion to organic farming (Ecocert label). Everything is done by hand and no chemicals are used in the vineyard. Vinification is with wild yeasts and there is a natural malolactic in tank. With just a light filtration, no fining and a very small sulphur addition this is naked, terroir-driven Chardonnay.

Very pure style of unoaked Chardonnay with delicate nose of yellow apples releasing into a beautifully crisp palate with notes of almond-butter and citrus. The butter-cream notes of the malo which are more evident when the wine is initially opened become integrated into lovely lemon curd flavours after time.

We drank it with pan-fried fillet of brill with a sauce of saffron cream, white wine and leeks accompanied by juicy mussels.

I’m not that vulgar that I allude to price, but this is fabulous value for money in white Burgundy.