Domaine Simonin, Saint Véran, 2022

A high-level Saint-Véran coming from 37 year old vines from a husband and wife winery, Domaine Simonin. Grapes grown in calcerous soil from 37 year old vines located in two separate villages (Davayé in Côte Rôtie in and Les Rochettes in Chasselas) with varying climates, culminating in a fresh and fruity wine with good length.

A youthful fresh greenish-yellow colour. The aroma is noble, ripe and with finesse, full of citrus, green Claude, a touch of oak and an impressive fresh minerality. A complex taste with beautiful freshness and endless tension, in which all the characteristics of the aroma return. Saint-Véran of a high level in a very attractive slender style.

This wine has a gorgeous fresh apple and pear-centered palate, balancing creaminess from a touch of oak, with natural Chardonnay acidity. It's wonderful wine and wonderful Burgundy to boot. Delicious as a partner with seafood or poultry, but it is extremely good with pâté and butter on crunchy bread. 

Saint Véran is a village in the Mâcon region in Burgundy. Because it's not one of the Cote d'Or villages, it has been often looked at as a poor cousin to the likes of Saint Aubin or Saint Romain (possibly just too many Saints...) which themselves are sometimes thought of as poor cousins of Meursault and the Montrachets.

Lots of poverty? Not a bit of it. They each offer a different version of Chardonnay, a different perspective through its kaleidoscope and though some are better than others, very, very few could ever be less than superb. In fact, in our current era of rocketing Burgundy prices, it is the non-Cote d'Or villages (or at least the non-Meursault and Montrachet ones) that are moving into the consumer's focus because they offer excellent value for money.

Very high quality villages-level white Burgundy? Yes please.

Domaine Simonin dates back to 1800; the vineyards are owned and managed since 1981 by Jacques Simonin and his wife, cover 7 hectares  divided into three AOC appellations, Mâcon, Saint-Véran and Pouilly-Fuissé in the south of Burgundy. Their Saint Véran is a superb example of the quality that the region as a whole (and the village specifically) can achieve in the right hands.