2024 Auxey-Duresses, Jean-Philippe Fichet, Burgundy

Chardonnay is arguably the most versatile white grape variety in the world. Grown globally and beloved for its adaptability, it can produce wines that range from crisp and mineral to rich and opulent. It thrives in a wide range of soils but performs best in limestone-rich terroirs, such as those found in Chablis, Champagne, and the Côte d'Or.

A small village in a side valley off the Côte de Beaune, with a slightly cooler local climate making for a more austere style of Burgundy. Nonetheless this can be an excellent source of relatively inexpensive wine in warmer years, or from top producers. At the moment production is about 75:25 red to white. The reds can age well, while the whites can have a most attractive minerality.

Jean-Philippe Fichet made his first vintage in 1981. After a few challenges, he settled into his current – and rather splendid – cellars at Creux du Coche, by the Hôpital de Meursault. About Jean-Philippe Fichet Over the years, Jean-Philippe has built up an array of Meursaults, all from lieux-dits. He has no Premiers or Grands Crus in the village, though there’s a small parcel of Premier Cru Referts in Puligny. In the vineyard Jean-Philippe is very much a vigneron; it’s the time in the vineyard that counts. He believes that soil health is critical, and for 15 years he’s been making and applying his own compost to his vineyards.