Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey - Saint-Aubin 2023, Burgundy, France

Introduction: The village appellation as a crystallisation point

While Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey (PYCM) is famous for his spectacular Premier and Grand Crus, his simple Saint-Aubinis often the underrated key to understanding his style. This wine, assembled from several parcels in the Saint-Aubin appellation, offers a transparent, immediate yet typical approach to the master's philosophy. The 2023 vintagewas a challenging, cool and wet year, but one that top winemakers such as PYCM used as an opportunity to produce wines rich in finesse and acidity with a delicate structure. This Saint-Aubin is therefore the concentrated essence of a difficult but potentially great Burgundy vintage in its purest, most accessible form.

Sensory description (youthful stage)

As a young wine from a cool vintage, it now presents itself with a nervous, restrained and extremely mineral personality.

Colour

• Bright, pale straw yellow with intense greenish reflections. The colour is classic for a young, acidic Burgundy from a cool vintage.

Nose

The bouquet is restrained, cool and characterisedby a precise, linear minerality. The fruit is restrained and citrusy.

• Citrus & green fruit: Lemon zest, green apple, gooseberry, a delicate hint of white peach.

• Explosive minerality: Dominant flavours of flint, wet pebbles, chalk and a cool, almost salty note. The mineral signature of Saint-Aubin's chalky marl soils is unmistakable.

• Reductive & Spicy Complexity: Clear notes of damp wool, matchstick (intentional reduction), freshly grated ginger and a floral hint (acacia, hawthorn).

• Textural notes: A light, waxy note is hinted at.

Palate

The palate confirms the image of a no-frills, straightforward and highly charged wine.

• Texture: Medium density, juicy and with a texture that is both creamy and taut. The wine has substance, but is forced into a vertical, slender shape by the acidity.

• Acidity: The defining and life-giving element, it is lively, electric and crystalline in clarity. It gives the wine its enormous tension, length and freshness and is the promise of longevity.

• Flavour development: A linear, precise development: first the stony, salty minerality, then the citric freshness, followed by the spicy, reductive complexity. The fruit serves as an undertone, not as the main protagonist.

• Finish: Long, salty and characterisedby a refreshing, almond-like bitterness. The mineral finish dominates and leaves a clean, invigorating impression.

Vintage & vinification

Vintage 2023 in Burgundy

• An extremely difficult, cool and wet vintagewith massive disease pressure (peronospora). Only the most disciplined winegrowers with absolute care in the vineyard and the strictest selection were able to harvest healthy, ripe grapes. The resulting white wines are characterised by high acidity, a lean texture, moderate alcohol and a nervous, tart, citrusy aroma. They are reminiscent of classic vintages and have great potential for long ageing.

The PYCM signature in village wine

• The highest standardsalso apply to the simple appellation : hand-picking, whole bunch pressing, spontaneous fermentation in large pieces of wood (350-600 litres), long storage on the lees.

• The aim is to expressthe typical minerality and tension of Saint-Aubinin its purest, unadulterated form. The wine is not a simple entry-level Pinot Noir, but a serious white wine that is true to its terroir.

Maturity & ageing potential

Current drinking maturity

The wine is still absolutely closed and youthful. It can be drunk now with pleasure to experience its breathtaking freshness and mineral directness, but urgently needs further bottle ageing to harmonise and open up.

Development potential

• First optimum window: 2026 - 2028 (3-5 years from vintage).

• Main drinking window: 2029 - 2038.

• Ageing potential:12-15 years with optimal cellaring . It will never develop the opulent richness of a warm vintage, but will develop its mineral and spicy complexity.

Rating & recommendations

Potential rating: 91-93/100 points

A Dorfburgunder of exceptional precision, depth and typical PYCM austerity. It surpasses many Premier Crus from other producers and is a textbook example of the quality that is possible at appellation level.

Recommendations:

• Decant: Not necessary when young. Later (after 2-3 years), brief contact with air (15-20 minutes in the glass) can help.

• Serving temperature: 10-12°C.

• Food pairing: A perfect accompaniment to food:

  • Seafood: oysters, scallops, grilled fish (brine, sea bream).

  • Poultry: Light-coloured poultry dishes, chicken au vinaigre.

  • Goat's cheese: Fresh goat's cheese in ash.

  • Vegetarian: Asparagus, artichokes, mushroom ragout.

Conclusion

The Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Saint-Aubin 2023 is proof of the greatness of this winemaker. It transforms a difficult, cool vintage condition into a wine of breathtaking clarity, mineral intensity and electrifying tension. This is no simple, soft Burgundy, but a serious, straightforward and deeply satisfying white wine that shows the signature of a master at every stage. For the connoisseur, it's a more accessible introduction to the PYCM universe; for everyone else, a sure guarantee of an impeccably made, characterful and long-lived white Burgundy. A must for anyone learning to understand and appreciate the modern, mineral style of Burgundy.