When, over twenty years ago, we first began working with Domaine Hubert Lamy, we were not infrequently met with incredulity over our insistence that their St. Aubin wines be regarded on the same level as storied selections from their neighbors in the Côte des Blancs: Meursault, Puligny, and Chassagne. Those reactions are now decidedly the misconception of a past generation. It is today beyond dispute that Lamy’s St. Aubins stand at the pinnacle of the Côte de Beaune, on a par with the greatest Chardonnay vineyards of Burgundy.
This sea change in perception springs from three principal sources. The first is the superior market positioning achieved by Chassagne and Puligny, both of which, when the AOC laws were first introduced, cleverly appended the name Montrachet to their village names, thus benefiting from the prestigious association. The second reason is perhaps more coherent: Saint-Aubin is situated at a higher elevation with cooler temperatures than its more famous neighbors. Its vineyards were thus more exposed to the cool air from the forested hills to the west, making it more challenging to obtain phenolic maturity, especially in cooler vintages. However, in today’s warming climate, this former disadvantage has become an advantage. The cooler ambiance allows for an extended and cooler growing season, resulting in fully ripe berries with higher acidity and lower sugar levels, thus producing crisper and better-balanced wines. The third and perhaps most salient reason for the accolades accorded to Lamy’s Saint-Aubin is the overarching genius, skill, and vision of Olivier Lamy.
Although the roots of the Lamy family in Burgundy extend back to the reign of Louis XIII, the modern incarnation of the Lamy estate, Domaine Hubert Lamy, was created by Oliver’s father in 1973. Olivier joined his father in 1995. Today, the Domaine spans 18.5 hectares (45.71 acres), primarily located in the appellations of Saint-Aubin, Puligny-Montrachet, and Chassagne-Montrachet. The domaine’s vineyards (80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay) consist mostly of stony, limestone-based soil, with a thin 10-30 cm layer of topsoil, and benefit from a favorable southeast exposure.
Olivier’s influence on the estate is profound. An advocate for meticulous vineyard management, he emphasizes low yields and high-density planting, with some vineyards boasting up to 30,000 vines per hectare. This approach, while labor-intensive, results in grapes of exceptional concentration and complexity. This innovative practice has led to wines with enormous depth and dimension.
Yields are kept low to ensure high quality, and after intensive vineyard work, the harvested crop undergoes careful selection on a sorting table before being transferred to stainless steel fermentation tanks. For red wines, the grapes are 100% de-stemmed and undergo ambient yeast fermentation. This approach ensures the preservation of the wine’s natural flavors and terroir expression. The wines are then aged for 12-18 months in 300-liter and 600-liter barrels, predominantly used barrels, which allows for a subtle oak influence without overpowering the purity of the fruit. For white wines, whole bunches are pressed gently, and the juice is allowed to settle naturally before fermentation, which is carried out with indigenous yeasts.
The whites are aged in a combination of barrels, including larger formats like demi-muids (600 liters), which help to preserve freshness and minerality.Olivier Lamy favors the use of larger barrels to minimize the impact of new oak and maintain the wine’s finesse. The winemaking process is traditional and involves minimal intervention.
Both red and white wines are aged in 0-15% new oak (averaging 10%) for 18-24 months before bottling. Before bottling, the wines are fined and lightly filtered to ensure clarity and stability. Bottling is done with great care to preserve the integrity of the wine, and only minimal sulfur is used throughout the process to ensure the wines’ longevity and freshness.
