Wine

Behind the Wall

Tucked away down narrow streets, behind an immense stone wall, sits a vineyard so small it almost feels improbable.

BY MATTHEW BISHOP

A car park in an ocean of green

This is a wine that cannot be missed. Explosive flavours leave an everlasting impression and linger long after each sip.

We all hear a great deal about Meursault and Puligny Montrachet when it comes to Burgundy wines. Sure, they are excellent, but one village not to overlook is Saint Aubin, particularly this producer, Prosper Maufoux.

I found this stunning winery whilst on one of my excursions to Burgundy, scouting places to send our Travel with Wines clients. There was not an ounce of disappointment. It exceeded every expectation.

Château Saint Aubin has everything. You drive off the main road and onto a small side road that meanders gently uphill, taking you straight into the heart of Saint Aubin. Driving down narrow streets, you arrive at a thick stone wall with gates spread wide open. Entering the grounds brings you into a spacious courtyard, with the château to your right, the sun reflecting from its stone walls like a beacon. Ahead of you, the vines stretch like an endless green ocean and, to your left, sits the car park.

Opposite the château stands the winery. Entering, you find the shop on your left. Heading down bright wooden stairs, you discover the fermentation room and barrel cellar, secured behind thick iron bars. Proceeding through a glass door brings you onto a small pathway edged by grass on either side. Following it leads you to their magnificent restaurant beneath an impressive canopy.

For anyone visiting, this restaurant is an absolute must. You sit on the terrace, sunlight filtering through the canopy above, only a stone's throw from the vines, completely surrounded by the rolling hills of Burgundy. The food is light, fresh, inventive and genuinely inspiring, while every course can be paired with wines produced only metres away.

Lunch in the sun

Château Saint Aubin has a history spanning over three hundred years and is owned by the Piffaut family. The estate comprises nine hectares of vineyards on the southern side of the Côte de Beaune, within the village of Saint Aubin. Together, they encompass terroirs of genuine distinction that produce wines of remarkable quality.

You may now be wondering who Prosper Maufoux is. Prosper Maufoux is the maison owned by the Piffaut family, focusing on sustainable production and wines renowned for their elegance.

The bottle we are reviewing is their Clos du Château Premier Cru 2022, a white Burgundy produced exclusively from grapes grown within their Clos du Château Premier Cru vineyard. No fruit harvested from vineyards scattered across the village, but from one small vineyard sitting behind a wall, or clos, as it is known.

Harking back to earlier, you can literally enjoy your lunch whilst overlooking this vineyard, as the restaurant borders it. It is remarkably small. Covering just 1.1 hectares, it is only slightly larger than a football pitch. Whilst enjoying your escargots, you barely have to turn your head to take it all in. Do note that the bottle states 1.108 ha, which most likely refers to the wider Saint Aubin appellation rather than the vineyard itself.

It is remarkable that they can produce and bottle wine from such a petite area, yet this is extremely common throughout Burgundy. Even so, there is something almost disarming about seeing it in person. We are so accustomed to imagining grand estates stretching endlessly across rolling hills.

The vines are around twenty years old, meaning they are fully established, balanced and consistent in character. For context, vines begin producing usable fruit after three to five years and generally reach maturity after around fifteen. At twenty years old, these vines sit firmly in their prime. Their roots have dug deep into the limestone soils beneath Saint Aubin, contributing to the balance, concentration and freshness found in the finished wine.

The vineyard enjoys a south facing exposure. This may sound like romantic marketing language, but it matters far more than it first appears. Burgundy has a relatively cool climate, not entirely dissimilar to parts of the United Kingdom, only slightly warmer. A south facing slope captures more consistent sunlight throughout the growing season, allowing the grapes to ripen properly. It also makes for a rather pleasant lunch setting, with the sun on your back for much of the afternoon.

The vines sit at approximately 280 metres above sea level. You can genuinely feel it whilst standing there. A gentle breeze drifts across the vineyard and the temperature drops just enough to remain comfortable. The altitude slows the ripening process and moderates sugar accumulation, helping preserve freshness in the finished wine.

Love me, love me. Pathetic.

The bottle itself is elegantly designed. I particularly appreciate labels that remain clean whilst paying subtle homage to their history. There is no attempt to overwhelm you with unnecessary pageantry or pretentious design. Instead, it simply tells you what the wine is, where it comes from and who produced it, finished with the producer's signature and the château's historic crest.

On the reverse, rather than filling the label with an encyclopaedic history of the estate, they have chosen a concise description that focuses on what actually matters: the wine itself, where it comes from and how it has been produced.

The bottle follows the classic Burgundy shape, with broad shoulders flowing into a slender neck. It is finished with a yellow foil capsule embossed with the owner's name and the château crest, while the cork carries another reminder of both the wine and the estate.

Now for the important part.

The wine is outstanding.

On the nose are notes of citrus fruit and vanilla. On the palate is a gentle creaminess that develops into butterscotch alongside a subtle yeasty character. Once swallowed, the flavours linger beautifully, leaving a persistent finish that almost demands another sip.

One point I will continue repeating throughout these articles is that wines such as this should never be served too cold. Aim for around 10°C. If over chilled, the wine becomes muted and disappointing. This is not wine snobbery. It is simply the difference between tasting a good wine and tasting what it is truly capable of.

Scoring

Many critics score wines out of one hundred, often awarding ninety seven or ninety eight points. To keep things simple, I score wines out of ten whilst taking price into account. I also provide a broader score relative to wines across the world.

Retailing at approximately £60, this bottle comfortably earns a ten out of ten within its category and price bracket. Compared against wines globally, it still deserves a solid nine out of ten. Very few wines genuinely surpass it and, for many enthusiasts, it would easily qualify as a bucket list bottle.

This is what Burgundy should taste like. A similar profile from more famous villages can easily cost more than twice the price without necessarily delivering twice the enjoyment. Saint Aubin remains something of a hidden gem. Part of me hopes it stays that way, because wider recognition usually brings higher prices. Until then, you can expect to see many more articles exploring Saint Aubin and the exceptional wines it continues to produce.