2015 Au Pied du Mont Chauve Saint Aubin Le Charmois Rouge is as mouthful as the French labels can be. Let’s uncork the label together first.
Au Pied du Mont Chauve (At the foot of Mont Chauve) is a Chassagne-Montrachet based Domaine in Burgundy. You won’t see Chassagne-Montrachet on the bottle because it’s claimed by their neighbors for themselves. The fruit for this wine comes from Le Charmois vineyard of 1er Cru appellation of Saint-Aubin located just north-east of Chassagne.
Rouge is red, and red in Burgundy is Pinot Noir.
There you go – puzzle solved. So now we know the name of the producer, wine region, and the vineyard.
Domaine Au Pied du Mont Chauve Saint Aubin Le Charmois Rouge 2015
The Chateau in Chassagne is an impressive 14th-century cellar with centuries-long winemaking history. It was purchased by the Picard wine group in 1998. Picard is one of the most prominent winemaking families in Burgundy, who started in the 1950s. They produce wines from 5 estates (135 hectares), including Chassagne-Montrachet as well.
Fabrice Lesne, the current winemaker, joined Pircards in 2010 and overseeing wine production from 35 hectares, 20 of which are biodynamic.
2015 Vintage
Burgundy is always at the mercy of mother nature, and perfect vintages are far and few in between. Many consider 2015 an atypical vintage because it was so hot and dry.
The vintage reminded vintners 2003 and 2009. The fruit was very ripe, and it doesn’t often happen in Burgundy. While the fruit was ripe, the acidity was good too, and had a lot of tannins.
So how did it taste?
In the Glass
St. Aubin is a well-integrated Pinot Noir from the aromas to flavors.
True to its Burgundian origin, it started with earthy forest floor and dusty raindrops aromas followed by the ripe cherry and strawberry jam on the palate. The aftertaste has cherry pit notes and, surprisingly, chocolate milk.
Finish
2015 Au Pied du Mont Chauve Saint Aubin is a generously structured wine with defined tannins and ripe fruits balanced by acidity. Rarely we can say rich and powerful while describing Borgogne red. In that it’s unusual.
On the other, hand if you’d like to explore Pinot Noir from Burgundy without breaking a bank, this wine is a good start. It’s also a good option for those avoiding Pinot because it feels thin and lacks the oomph of more powerful varietals. They might find it substantial enough to leave their apprehension behind and enjoy Pinot Noir.
This wine is still young and can turn into a gem in the next five to ten years, and we look forward to tasting it again in 2025 and beyond.
2015 St. Aubin was a part of our Pinot Noir Winswinging evening when we compared Californian, Oregonian, and French wines. Wonder how it faired?