2022 Bourgogne Chardonnay, Domaine Bitouzet-Prieur

The 2022 Bourgogne Chardonnay has a light bouquet with cooking apple and touches of Earl Grey (not often I find this on a regional white.) The palate is fresh on the entry with fine acidity, quite citric on the finish if missing a little length.“All our vines are on the slopes, and we did not observe any stress in the Chardonnay,” François Bitouzet-Prieur informs. “Beaune Les Aussy was the only vineyard that showed some signs of stress because the soils are so free-draining. We picked from August 25 until August 31. It was a normal length of harvest, even though the volume was higher. You didn’t have to look out for bunches that were not ripe.  I find the 2022s fresher than the 2020s, with slightly lower alcohol. The 2020 vintage was precocious, and I think those wines will drink younger.” This is another domaine where the Volnay Clos des Chênes forms a high point, closely followed by the Caillerets. Amongst the whites, I particularly like the superb Meursault Santenots, which had the audacity to outshine the Les Perrières and Les Charmes.Drink 2024 - 2028Neil Martin, Vinous.com.com (January 2024)

Mid lemon yellow. Notably reductive on the nose, partially vegetal. Then, there are some exotic fruits, such as pineapple and mango. It's slightly bizarre to have this fresh finish as well. It's interesting to see how this settles down. Drink 2025 - 2027Jasper Morris MW, insideburgundy_com (October 2023)