Montagny 2023 Domaine Aline Beauné

The Montagny 2023 from Domaine Aline Beauné is the domaine's village cuvée, the wine that embodies the heart and identity of a winemaker whose wines gain precision and recognition with each vintage. Crafted exclusively from Chardonnay across the communes of the appellation, this Montagny village is vinified and aged with the same rigour as the domaine's Premier Crus, in absolute respect for fruit and terroir. An ideal and convincing entry point into the world of Aline Beauné.

The Montagny Appellation

Nestled at the southern tip of the Côte Chalonnaise in Saône-et-Loire, the Montagny appellation encompasses four communes, Buxy, Montagny-lès-Buxy, Jully-lès-Buxy and Saint-Vallerin, recognised as AOC since 1936. It is Burgundy's only communal appellation producing exclusively white wines, from Chardonnay alone. The hillsides, facing east and south-east between 250 and 400 metres altitude, rest on marl and clay-limestone soils from the Jurassic and Triassic periods, a substrate over 200 million years old. At Buxy, lower Triassic sandstone outcrops and contacts the Kimmeridgian, the geological stage characteristic of Chablis wines, a rare feature that explains the taut minerality and saline freshness found in the appellation's finest wines. The monks of Cluny abbey, great connoisseurs, had already shown a particular preference for it from the Middle Ages. With 49 Premier Crus covering nearly 60 per cent of the vineyard, Montagny is an appellation generous in excellent terroirs, yet still too little known given the real quality of its wines.

Tasting Profile

The robe is pale and luminous yellow with green reflections characteristic of young Burgundian Chardonnay. The nose is elegant and expressive, with aromas of white flowers, acacia and hawthorn, married to fresh white fruit notes like peach, pear and apple, with a light touch of almond and discreet minerality. On the palate, the wine is supple, fresh and harmonious, with a well-balanced body between the generosity of fruit and the vibrancy of acidity. The finish is clean, fruity and subtly mineral, with that spicy aromatic return typical of Côte Chalonnaise Chardonnays. A frank, pure and honest wine, both accessible in its youth and capable of evolving pleasantly over two to four years.

The Domaine

Aline Beauné founded her domaine in 2018 at Montagny-lès-Buxy, following 13 years of experience leading vinification at a respected Côte de Beaune estate. When the cooperative cellar contract at Buxy for the 5.5 hectares of family vines ended, she seized the opportunity to create her own domaine, with ambition to produce wines of very high quality from Montagny and Côte Chalonnaise terroirs. Committed to converting to organic farming, she has eliminated herbicides and chemical treatments, favouring meticulous work in the vineyard. In the cellar, the Montagny village cuvée is vinified and aged primarily in stainless steel to best preserve the freshness and fruit typical of this Chardonnay terroir, with measured use of oak ageing.

Food Pairings

This Montagny village pairs beautifully with scallops in Breton style, sea bass fillet with herb crust, leek and fresh goat cheese quiche, white asparagus with hollandaise sauce or mushroom risotto. It will also find fine harmony with pressed, uncooked paste cheeses such as young Comté or Saint-Nectaire. Served between 10 and 12°C, it will be equally delightful as an aperitif with Burgundian gougères.