# Bourgogne Côte d'Or Chardonnay (2020)

- **Producer:** Domaine François Mikulski
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Chardonnay
- **Region:** Burgundy, France
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 13.0%
- **Average price:** €50
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 10–12 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** lemon, grapefruit, orange, apple, pear, peach, butter, cream, toast, vanilla, hazelnut, almond, honey

## About this wine

Domaine François Mikulski was established in 1992 by François and his wife Marie-Pierre. François's path to winemaking is highly unique; his father was a Polish military officer who escaped to England during World War II, where he met François's Burgundian mother. Raised in Brussels, François spent his summers in Burgundy, eventually learning the craft from his uncle, Pierre Boillot. Based in Meursault, the estate has earned a stellar reputation for producing wines of incredible precision, purity, and mineral tension, eschewing heavy oak in favor of terroir expression. This Bourgogne Côte d'Or is sourced from 1.5 hectares of vines planted in 1986 and 2005, located directly on the boundary line of the Meursault village appellation, offering Meursault-like complexity at an accessible price point.

## Interesting facts

- Founder François Mikulski's father was a Polish military officer who escaped occupied Poland in 1939.
- The vineyards for this wine sit directly on the boundary line of the prestigious Meursault appellation.
- The estate operates under the down-to-earth motto: 'A good wine is a wine that is drunk.'

## Food pairing

This wine's high acidity cuts through rich, creamy textures, while its medium-plus body and oily richness match the weight of roasted poultry, veal, and fatty fish. The subtle oak and mineral salinity complement buttery seafood and earthy mushroom sauces beautifully.

## Wine making process

The grapes are harvested entirely by hand and undergo a rigorous selection process. After a gentle pneumatic pressing, a severe settling (débourbage) is performed to clarify the juice before fermentation. The wine is fermented slowly over three to four months in oak barrels using only indigenous yeasts. It is then aged for approximately 10 months in French oak barrels, with less than 20% new oak to prevent wood flavors from overpowering the wine's natural salinity. Following the barrel aging, the wine is racked and transferred to stainless steel tanks for an additional two months to naturally clarify and tighten its structure before bottling.