Goisot Bourgogne Chardonnay Cotes d’Auxerre Corps de Garde 2020

Domaine Goisot’s place in the wine world is probably best summed up by Burghound’s Allen Meadows: “No one delivers more quality for the price than Goisot. The quality is flat out amazing, particulalry given the modest appellations with which he works”. The domaine in all reality should be considered a fine Chablis estate, but history has not been particularly kind to the region, as Saint Bris was removed from the Chablis appellation after phylloxera paralyzed the area in the late nineteenth century.

Prior to this, Saint Bris was part of Chablis, which seems quite logical, given that it shares the same base of profound Kimmeridgian limestone and the same northerly climate as its neighbor a few kilometers to the east. But now Saint Bris is officially a sub-region of the Côte d’Auxerre, which is only officially entitled to Bourgogne status.

However, one of the best parts about this switch is that the Goisots, unlike their Chablisien brethren, are allowed to grow Sauvignon Blanc and Aligoté in addition to Chardonnay. In this way, Saint Bris is like a tiny combination of Chavignol and Chablis in one super small, unassuming village.