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Domaine René Lequin-Colin Bourgogne Blanc
Domaine René Lequin-Colin Bourgogne Blanc
Grapes — 100% Chardonnay
Region — Bourgogne AOC, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France
Tasting Notes — Bright gold with a soft, glowing clarity. Lemon and citrus zest on the nose, layered with hazelnut, almond, and a gentle wisp of honey. The palate is generous and ripe with a supple, creamy texture from the lees work, held in balance by vibrant acidity and a long, saline finish. Fresh and citrus-driven without pretense or artifice, and consistently punching well above its appellation.
The Wine — Chardonnay from plots close to François Lequin's home village of Santenay, at the southern end of the Côte de Beaune. The fruit comes primarily from the Lavau parcel near the village and from Corpeau, situated just below Puligny-Montrachet, which is purchased from organic-farming friends of François rather than estate-owned. Vinified 50% in stainless steel and 50% in barrel with only 10% new oak, then aged roughly ten months in barrel and a further month in tank before bottling. Santenay's clay-rich limestone soils give the wine its structure and freshness, and the village itself is an interesting story: it was 99% red until the 1980s and is only now emerging as a serious white wine commune.
If your bottling is the 'Retour aux Racines': 100% barrel fermented with 10% new oak, regular bâtonnage for texture and breadth, and bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Farming — Certified organic since 2009, with biodynamic practices introduced from 2010 onward. The vineyards have been ploughed rather than treated with herbicide since 1997, well ahead of the domaine's formal organic conversion. François is unusual in that he deliberately does not put the organic certification on his labels, preferring the wines to sell on their own merits rather than on a logo. He believes organic farming exists to serve the expression of terroir, not the other way around.
Winemaking — Hand harvested and pneumatically pressed to avoid extracting hard or green phenolics. Fermented and aged with what François calls "a small hand" in the cellar: restrained new oak, lees contact for texture, and as little intervention as the vintage allows. Native yeast use is unconfirmed; worth verifying with your rep.
The Producer — The Lequin family have been vignerons in Santenay since 1679, passing the work from father to son for well over three centuries. The domaine in its current form dates to 1976, when René Lequin married Josette Colin, herself a multi-generational descendant of Chassagne-Montrachet winemakers, and the two family names were joined on the label. Their son François, an only child, trained in viticulture and oenology at Avize in Champagne before deciding he had studied enough and joining his father in 1996. He became a partner in 1999 and sole owner in 2006. Today he farms nine hectares across an enviable spread of Premier and Grand Cru holdings in Santenay, Chassagne-Montrachet, Pommard, and Corton, including a single specially made barrel of Bâtard-Montrachet each year. Santenay has long lacked a marquee producer and remains one of Burgundy's genuinely overlooked communes, which makes discovering the Lequin-Colin wines all the more rewarding: real Côte de Beaune pedigree and organic farming at prices that Burgundy rarely offers anymore.
Drink It With — Roast chicken, scallops in beurre blanc, mushroom risotto, grilled halibut, soft creamy cheeses, or any weeknight that deserves a proper white Burgundy.
Domaine René Lequin-Colin Bourgogne Blanc
Grapes — 100% Chardonnay
Region — Bourgogne AOC, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France
Tasting Notes — Bright gold with a soft, glowing clarity. Lemon and citrus zest on the nose, layered with hazelnut, almond, and a gentle wisp of honey. The palate is generous and ripe with a supple, creamy texture from the lees work, held in balance by vibrant acidity and a long, saline finish. Fresh and citrus-driven without pretense or artifice, and consistently punching well above its appellation.
The Wine — Chardonnay from plots close to François Lequin's home village of Santenay, at the southern end of the Côte de Beaune. The fruit comes primarily from the Lavau parcel near the village and from Corpeau, situated just below Puligny-Montrachet, which is purchased from organic-farming friends of François rather than estate-owned. Vinified 50% in stainless steel and 50% in barrel with only 10% new oak, then aged roughly ten months in barrel and a further month in tank before bottling. Santenay's clay-rich limestone soils give the wine its structure and freshness, and the village itself is an interesting story: it was 99% red until the 1980s and is only now emerging as a serious white wine commune.
If your bottling is the 'Retour aux Racines': 100% barrel fermented with 10% new oak, regular bâtonnage for texture and breadth, and bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Farming — Certified organic since 2009, with biodynamic practices introduced from 2010 onward. The vineyards have been ploughed rather than treated with herbicide since 1997, well ahead of the domaine's formal organic conversion. François is unusual in that he deliberately does not put the organic certification on his labels, preferring the wines to sell on their own merits rather than on a logo. He believes organic farming exists to serve the expression of terroir, not the other way around.
Winemaking — Hand harvested and pneumatically pressed to avoid extracting hard or green phenolics. Fermented and aged with what François calls "a small hand" in the cellar: restrained new oak, lees contact for texture, and as little intervention as the vintage allows. Native yeast use is unconfirmed; worth verifying with your rep.
The Producer — The Lequin family have been vignerons in Santenay since 1679, passing the work from father to son for well over three centuries. The domaine in its current form dates to 1976, when René Lequin married Josette Colin, herself a multi-generational descendant of Chassagne-Montrachet winemakers, and the two family names were joined on the label. Their son François, an only child, trained in viticulture and oenology at Avize in Champagne before deciding he had studied enough and joining his father in 1996. He became a partner in 1999 and sole owner in 2006. Today he farms nine hectares across an enviable spread of Premier and Grand Cru holdings in Santenay, Chassagne-Montrachet, Pommard, and Corton, including a single specially made barrel of Bâtard-Montrachet each year. Santenay has long lacked a marquee producer and remains one of Burgundy's genuinely overlooked communes, which makes discovering the Lequin-Colin wines all the more rewarding: real Côte de Beaune pedigree and organic farming at prices that Burgundy rarely offers anymore.
Drink It With — Roast chicken, scallops in beurre blanc, mushroom risotto, grilled halibut, soft creamy cheeses, or any weeknight that deserves a proper white Burgundy.