Malcolm Jolley finds a well made white Burgundy for a very nice price…

One of the trends in the wine world that Jamie and I have been tracking with enthusiasm over the past few years is the rise of co-operatives that make really good wine. We’ve found them, typically, in emerging regions of Europe, so it’s interesting to find one in one of the world’s most prestigious regions, Burgundy. The Cave de Buxy is, writes Jancis Robinson, “a very large, thoroughly respectable concern, with access to nearly 1,000 he/2,500 acres of vineyard.” Located in the south end of Burgundy in the Côte Chalonnaise, the Vignerons de Buxy is, according to their website, comprised of “120 wine-growers and 42 employees, and sells 7 million bottles per year for a turnover of 40 million euros” and was established 90 years ago in 1930. If the Vignerons de Buxy Chardonnay Buissonnier Bourgogne 2018 ($17.95 | LCBO# 10349) is anything to go by, then they clearly know what they’re doing.

The 2018 Buxy Chardonnay is simply made simply in stainless steel with a lean, mineral profile and fresh fruit notes that moves from fresh citrus towards pineapple notes from the tropics. At 13% alcohol by volume its in balance, and is good and dry at only four grams of residual sugar per litre. And there is enough weight for it to hold up as an aperitif on it’s own, and good acid to carry it through a meal. For $18 it’s a lot of wine and comes off far more fancy than that price would suggest, and certainly worth a try.