2020 Charles Lachaux Bourgogne La Croix Blanche

Charles Lachaux is the eponymous label of the young man who relatively recently took over managing and winemaking at the venerable Arnaux-Lachaux (formerly known as Robert Arnaux) in the village of Vosne Romanee in Burgundy. The Lachaux wines are built around the Aligote grape from both his family’s vineyards and other small plantings in Burgundy. The wines were an immediate sensation and have, since their launch with the 2018 vintage, because extraordinarily difficult to find. The Aligote bottling, including the coveted Les Champs d’Argent, is often produced from grapes taken from very old vineyards that earlier had been sold for inclusion in mass production Burgundy. The Charles Lachaux label is giving these old Aligote plantings a new spotlight. Bid on Charles Lachaux wine online on WineBid today!

Burgundy in eastern France is, if not the most famous and storied wine region in the world, certainly one of the top two or three. Its winemaking history dates from the Roman era, and its relatively small size and reputation for outstanding wines means that the best wines of Burgundy are generally among the world’s most prized – and costly – wines. At about 110,000 vineyards acres, Burgundy is only 40% as big as Bordeaux, and its system of dividing up vineyards into small, family-owned parcels makes understanding the wines of Burgundy a life-long pursuit for Burgundy enthusiasts. The three main grapes of Burgundy are Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Gamay. Burgundy is a long, narrow, north-south running region consisting of five main areas. They are Chablis in the north, Côte D’Or, Côte Chalonnaise, Mâconnais and Beaujolais, which is just above the Rhone Valley. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are grown throughout most of Burgundy but Gamay is grown primarily in Beaujolais. The appellation system and rules about labeling can be confusing and the system classifies regions, villages and even individual vineyards. Grand Cru is the most prestigious appellation category, followed by Premier Cru and many village and regional appellations.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.