Every now and then, we drink wine that makes us remember why we first fell in love with white Burgundy. No, we’re not talking about a Corton Charlemagne or a Batard Montrachet. It is no mystery that those wines are great.

We’re talking about village white wine from one of the great Chardonnay villages of the Cote d’Or: Chassagne Montrachet. Even those wines have generally become more than $100/bottle, making many of us rethink our love affair with white Burgundy, and thinking about something like Chenin Blanc instead.

And then we come across a wine like this. Brothers Francois and Vincent Jouard made a delicious Chassagne Montrachet in 2022. They are a small estate – 11 hectares – but they only keep grapes for their wine production harvested from vines that are at least 50 years old. Other than this interesting wrinkle, the brothers keep things simple. Vincent farms. Francois makes the wines, using traditional and hands-off techniques. About ⅓ of the oak barrels they use are new.

What you get is utterly classic. It’s got the full on “Chassagne” flavor – a slightly spicy twist on the fruitier Meursault or the more mineral Puligny. It’s fully accessible, without much reduction or oakiness. It’s just pure loveliness.

And, while it’s certainly not cheap, it’s priced fairly enough that we hope it will encourage you to engage with White Burgundy once again. It’s exactly what your holiday meal demands.

Domaine Vincent & Francois Jouard Chassagne-Montrachet Vieilles Vignes 2022 - $84.99