Vezelay L'Elégante 2023 Domaine de la Croix Montjoie

The Vézelay L'Élégante 2023 from Domaine de la Croix Montjoie is the signature and most ambitious cuvée of the domaine's white range, crowned by the Hachette Wine Guide 2025, which places it at the top of the domaine's ranking for the 2023 vintage. L'Élégante lives up to its name. A touch of oak during ageing brings character to this lovely cuvée, at once full-bodied, round and taut, offering abundant fruit and beautiful zesty freshness on the finish. Rated 91/100 by Revue du Vin de France for the 2020 vintage, elected Burgundian of the Year by Magazine Bourgogne Aujourd'hui, and listed by Tim Atkin MW in his Top 25 Burgundy estates to watch.

Terroir and vineyards

The Vézelay vineyard extends on either side of the Cure, a small tributary of the Yonne, across clay-limestone and stony hillsides whose soils rich in fossils and facing south and south-east offer Chardonnay ideal conditions for slow, progressive ripening. This terroir, classified as a Bourgogne communal appellation in 2017 thanks notably to the commitment of Sophie and Matthieu Woillez, is establishing itself as one of the most precious addresses in the northern Burgundy vineyard. L'Élégante comes from a selection of the domaine's finest Chardonnay parcels, on stony clay-limestone soils facing full south-east between 200 and 300 metres altitude. Organic conversion has been underway since 2018. Harvest is manual, with selective sorting parcel by parcel. Winemaking follows the domaine's philosophy: gentle pressing, settling, alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in stainless steel for 75 per cent and in old oak barrels of 5 years for 25 per cent, ageing for 9 months on fine lees. This precise marriage between vat and old oak is the foundational stylistic decision of L'Élégante: the vat brings freshness, purity and liveliness, while old oak, without new wood influence, adds body, depth and subtle aromatic complexity without ever masking the terroir.

Tasting profile

The colour is pale grey-green with luminous reflections, limpid and crystalline. The nose is delicate and welcoming, showing aniseed florals and very seductive rhubarb notes, with subtle aromas of hazelnut, lemon, white flowers and a light touch of flint that marks the limestone terroir. With aeration, the rounded, generous matter in yellow fruits, nectarine and white peach, gradually asserts itself with lovely openness. On the palate, the texture is full and round, generous without heaviness, supported by beautiful zesty freshness and well-integrated mineral tension that structures the whole with elegance. The fine bitterness on the finish brings character and length to a wine of remarkable balance. Character and elegance characterize this Vézelay that ticks all the boxes of excellence. Drink between 2026 and 2030 according to the Hachette Guide.

The domaine

Founded in 2009 by Sophie and Matthieu Woillez, both agronomists and winemakers, Domaine de la Croix Montjoie has established itself in just a few years as the absolute reference and driving force of the Vézelay appellation. Their 13-hectare vineyard is planted principally with Chardonnay on a hillside facing the eternal hill and the Vézelay basilica, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The domaine is housed in the former farm of the Tharoiseau castle, whose name evokes the old cross at the crossroads between Vézelay and Tharoiseau, where pilgrims first caught sight of the basilica and were filled with joy.

Food pairings

This Vézelay L'Élégante pairs beautifully with steamed scallop meat, a terrine of fish with fresh herbs, grilled fish with beurre blanc, poultry in light cream, risotto with asparagus and parmesan, or a plate of fresh goat cheeses such as Sainte-Maure de Touraine. Served between 11 and 12°C, slightly aerated in a carafe, it will reveal all the fruity generosity, mineral tension and natural elegance of a Vézelay Chardonnay signed by the domaine that brought this appellation to the world's attention.