Michel Lafarge - Beaune Clos Aigrots Blanc 2018

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Beaune wine is produced in the commune of Beaune in the Côte de Beaune subregion of Burgundy . The appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) Beaune may be used for red and white wine with respectively Pinot noir and Chardonnay as the main grape variety. The production consists of slightly over 85 percent red wine, and slightly less than 15 percent white wine. While there are no Grand cru vineyards within Beaune, there are several well-known and highly regarded Premier cru vineyards, including some that are owned by the large négociant houses in Beaune and produce some of their "flagship" wines at the Premier cru level. The AOC was created in 1936.

In 2008, there was 411.7 hectares (1,017 acres) of vineyard surface in production for Beaune wine at village and Premier cru level, making Beaune the largest village-named appellation of the Côte d'Or, just ahead of Gevrey-Chambertin AOC in vineyard size. A total of 15,652 hectoliters of wine were produced in 2008, of which 13,319 hectoliters were red wine and 2,333 hectoliters white wine. Some 357.06 hectares (882.3 acres) of this area was used for the red wines in 2007. The total amount produced corresponds to almost 2.1 million bottles, which included almost 1.8 million bottles of red wine and a little over 300,000 bottles of white wine.

For white wines, the AOC regulations allow both Chardonnay and Pinot blanc to be used, but most wines are 100% Chardonnay. The AOC regulations also allow up to 15 percent total of Chardonnay, Pinot blanc and Pinot gris as accessory grapes in the red wines, but this is not practiced very often. The allowed base yield is 40 hectoliters per hectare of red wine and 45 hectoliters per hectare for white wine. The grapes must reach a maturity of at least 10.5 percent potential alcohol for village-level red wine, 11.0 percent for village-level white wine and Premier Cru red wine, and 11.5 percent for Premier cru white wine.

Beaune is also the center of the Burgundy wine business, with most of the largest négociants located in the town, as well as the Hospices de Beaune , which annually holds a charity wine auction.

A View from the Cellar: 93 Points

The 2018 Clos des Aigrots Blanc is another terrific young white wine from the Lafarge family. The bouquet reveals an aromatic constellation of apple, tangerine, a complex base of chalky minerality, white lilies, gentle notes of new oak and a topnote of citrus peel. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and quite youthful in personality, with lovely mid-palate depth, fine focus and grip and a very long, vibrant and racy finish. This is going to be a stellar example of the vintage, but it will need a bit of bottle age to really start hitting on all cylinders. (Drink between 2025-2055)