Joseph Colin Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Sur le Sentier du Clou Blanc 2022

Sur le Sentier du Clou — "on the path of the nail" — is one of the more evocatively named premier crus in all of Saint-Aubin, a reference to the narrow, elongated shape of this noble climat. Made entirely from Chardonnay grown on white soils with a high proportion of limestone, which contributes to the wine's aromatic finesse, the vineyard sits on a thin, calcareous slope overlooking the domaine itself — old vines here delivering, in the words of one importer, incredible energy and chlorophyll-like freshness, vertical, saline and iodine-tinged minerality, and a superb fruit density on the palate dressed in a procession of spices.

Bright straw-yellow in colour with golden reflections, the nose is ample with fresh notes of green apple, aromatic herbs and citrus joined by mineral memories and sweeter notes of ripe pear and white flowers. On the palate, freshness and minerality perfectly support a caressing texture, in a refined and classy progression — an exceptional Chardonnay already ready to drink, but capable of evolving and harmonising further with a few years' rest in the cellar. By its impeccable balance between suavity and acidity, this premier cru should, within two or three years, delight alongside a salt-crusted sea bass with a lightly lemony beurre blanc — or perhaps langoustine raviolis in a coconut-lemongrass-infused broth. One of the most precisely expressive and food-friendly wines in the entire Joseph Colin range.