Rully – High Class White Burgundy on a Budget

The Côte Chalonnaise continues as a regular chain of hills along the same lines as the Côte d’Or to its north. But the countryside is much less uniform and turns into a jumble of limestone slopes on which vineyards appear amongst orchards and pasture. Local weather patterns are equally varied, giving importance to long proven production zones like Rully.

The white wines of Rully are said to convey suggestions of cool polished marble. They certainly have a recognizable style all their own, with a subtle fragrance similar to Chassagne-Montrachet coupled with a mineral charm. These two featured wines are the pinnacle of Chardonnay expression in the oft-overlooked Côte Chalonnaise – rich, complex, and destined for the dinner table.

Winemaker Claudie Jobard produces from 23 acres in both Rully and Côte de Beaune, including prime parcels in Pommard from family ties with Domaine Gabriel Billard. She’s the daughter of Laurence Jobard, Joseph Drouhin’s winemaker/enologist for 30 years. Her family has been propagating and selling vines in Rully for the last 60 years. Clearly, wine is in her blood.

Rully “Montagne la Folie” (2014) White
Special Price: ~$23

Chardonnay from a six acre, clay and limestone plot situated due east in the northern section of Rully with an average vine age of 42 years. Fermentation and aging take place entirely in French oak barrels of which 30% are new. The frequency of bâtonnage and barrel aging duration vary depending on the vintage. The result is a golden wine with notes of butterscotch, creamy citrus, and a backbone of stone.

Rully “Les Cloux” (Premier Cru 2014) White
Special Price: ~$33

Les Cloux is one of Rully’s best sites. The Chardonnay vines are 50-60 years old, planted on a southeast-facing, pebble-rich slope of clay and limestone. The wine was fermented in large 342-litre oak barrels, of which just 25% were new, and aged for up to 16 months. More heft than the “Montagne la Folie” its rich, creamy intensity is beautifully balanced by zesty freshness underneath heady aromatics of citrus and orchard blossoms with a hint of cedar.

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Posted on 2016.08.24 in France, Saturday Sips Wines, Burgundy