Wines

Totaling 70% of the estate’s bottled production, the frankly named “A l’Aube de la Côte des Bar” consists of 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Chardonnay—roughly the same proportion to which the vineyards are planted—from this zone’s soils of Kimmeridgian marl. Grapes are destemmed, fermented spontaneously in steel, and aged for nine months in used barrels averaging seven years of age with no malolactic fermentation; the wine then spends a minimum of five years on its lees, with secondary fermentation induced with organic beet sugar, and it is disgorged with no dosage.

The stunningly expressive Chardonnay’s nose is noble without being excessively polite, and it offers breadth and grip on a palate which possesses a delightfully assertive retronasal expansiveness. Bright citric elements coexist with orchard fruits, all underpinned by a very Kimmeridgian umami note not unlike chicken stock—something only ample aging can provide.

The Pinot Noir represents less than 10% of the estate’s production and offers haunting precision and balance. With a soaring nose of juicy blackberries and spices, it is both cleanly mineral and soil-kissed in that way only great Pinot Noir can be, and its dramatic finish echoes the blackberry note and offers plenty of sappy density.

For her exuberant and vinous rosé—pure Pinot Noir always from a single vintage—Delphine employs whole-bunch semi-carbonic maceration for five or six days, followed by nine months of aging in used barrels before bottling for secondary fermentation. Tangy, spicy, and juicy, this wine dances on the palate, its bright acidity counterbalancing notes of fresh jam while its tensile Kimmeridgian minerality provides a sturdy base.