2022 Château de la Crée Santenay Premier Cru Gravières Blanc

The 2022 Château de la Crée Santenay Premier Cru Gravières Blanc is a refined white Burgundy that showcases the more serious, mineral side of Santenay. Crafted from Chardonnay grown on one of the village’s most esteemed Premier Cru parcels, it strikes a beautiful balance between ripe fruit, sculpted structure, and Burgundian elegance. The ‘Gravières’ climat, long celebrated for its gravelly, limestone-rich soils, delivers a wine that is both immediately charming and built for graceful development in the cellar.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, this Santenay Premier Cru Blanc shows a bright, pale gold color with subtle green reflections, hinting at its freshness and youth. The nose is pure and expressive, with layers of white peach, pear, and lemon zest woven together with notes of acacia blossom, crushed stones, and a delicate touch of toasted hazelnut and vanilla from careful oak aging. On the palate, the 2022 vintage is generous yet precise: ripe orchard and citrus fruits are framed by a vibrant line of acidity and a clear mineral backbone. You can expect flavors of nectarine, yellow apple, and Meyer lemon alongside nuances of brioche, almond, and a light salinity that lingers on the finish. The texture is silky and mid‑weight, with enough tension to keep the wine lively and focused. Enjoyable now for its energy and fruit, it has the structure to evolve beautifully over 5–8 years, gaining richer nutty and honeyed complexity with time in bottle.

Production
Château de la Crée’s Santenay Premier Cru Gravières Blanc comes from vineyards rooted in classic Burgundian terroir: predominantly limestone and marl with a high proportion of gravel (‘gravières’), providing excellent drainage and encouraging deep root systems. This stony, sun‑exposed Premier Cru site naturally limits yields and concentrates flavor while retaining freshness. Grapes are typically harvested by hand at optimal ripeness to preserve aromatic purity and sort quality directly in the vineyard. In the cellar, the wine is traditionally vinified: gentle pressing of whole clusters, fermentation in French oak barrels (often with a judicious portion of new oak), and aging on fine lees with occasional bâtonnage. This approach adds texture and complexity while allowing the terroir’s mineral character to remain front and center.

Food & Serving
This white Santenay Premier Cru is a versatile partner at the table, particularly with refined dishes. It pairs beautifully with seared scallops, grilled lobster, poached turbot, or roasted cod, as well as creamy poultry dishes such as roast chicken with morel mushrooms or tarragon cream. It also works very well with veal blanquette, rabbit in mustard sauce, and aged hard cheeses like Comté or Beaufort. Serve at 11–13°C (52–55°F) to highlight both its freshness and depth. For young bottles, a brief 20–30 minute decant or a generous pour into large Burgundy stems helps the wine open up aromatically; older bottles can be served directly from the bottle, handled gently to protect their evolved nuances.

Producer
Château de la Crée is a historic Burgundy estate based in Santenay, with roots reaching back to the 15th century when it was originally founded by Nicolas Rolin, chancellor to the Duke of Burgundy. Over the centuries, the domaine has held an important place in the southern Côte de Beaune, with holdings in several of Santenay’s finest climats, including Premier Crus such as Gravières. In recent years, significant investment in both vineyard management and cellar practices has elevated the precision and expression of its wines, reinforcing the château’s reputation as a key reference point for characterful, terroir‑driven Santenay. Today, Château de la Crée is recognized for crafting wines that combine historical heritage with modern finesse, highlighting the under‑appreciated potential of Santenay within the broader Burgundy landscape.

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