Albert Sounit Rully Blanc – Les Saint-Jacques 2022 75 cl.

The vineyards are cultivated on a slope with a 10% incline facing east/southeast, where the soil primarily consists of brown clay mixed with small stones, chalk, and sand. This composition provides excellent drainage. The vines in the parcel from which Albert Sounit’s wine originates were planted in 1985. The wine was 100% fermented in wooden barrels – 33% new, 33% 1-year-old, and 33% 2-year-old barrels – and, following 100% malolactic fermentation, it was aged on its “lees” for 10 months with regular stirring. The wine was bottled without fining or filtration.

The wine has a very delicate and slightly mineral aroma with notes of flint and vanilla. Upon aeration, tones of hazelnuts and exotic fruits emerge, which persist in the taste, where the wine is both crisp and structured, yet very fruit-forward. The aftertaste is exceptionally long, with a lovely character of “crème brûlée” and recurring mineral tones. It is a very complex wine.

Maison Albert Sounit is located in the charming wine village of Rully in Burgundy. Since 1993, the winery has been Danish-owned. The house produces a wide range of Burgundy wines: Crémant de Bourgogne as well as white and red wines from the Côte Chalonnaise. The house’s motto is quality above all, and all grapes are harvested manually (by hand). Only the grapes’ natural yeast is used. The white and red wines are aged in French oak barrels, and bottling occurs without filtration. In 2005, Maison Albert Sounit acquired the Domaine Bernollin vineyard in Montagny.

The wines from the communes of Rully, Mercurey, Givry, and Montagny have previously been overshadowed by the more well-known appellations of Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits. However, this means there are particularly good finds to be made here. In many blind tastings, the quality has been shown to rival even the grand wines from Côte d’Or, while prices remain much more approachable.

Vinification: 10 months aging in wooden barrels (33% new, 33% 1-year-old, 33% 2-year-old)
Tasting Notes: Very delicate and slightly mineral aroma with notes of flint and vanilla. Crisp and structured yet very fruit-forward. The aftertaste is exceptionally long, with a beautiful character of “crème brûlée” and recurring mineral tones.
Recommended for: Rich fish, Light poultry, Shellfish, French country cuisine