Location and designation
Saint-Aubin Premier Cru Les Charmois lies as “Le Charmois” in the AOC area of Saint-Aubin on the Côte de Beaune in Burgundy. The official rules list the climat among the sites that may bear the designation “premier cru”.
Terroir and climate
The wine-growing area of Saint-Aubin is located in a sheltered, winding valley with well-exposed slopes. The defined vineyard parcels are at an altitude of about 300 to 430 metres. The terroir comprises platy limestone of the Callovian, limestone and marl sequences of the Oxfordian and, in places, colluvial mixtures of rock fragments, clay and silt. The soils, which are mostly shallow, rich in carbonates and well-drained, are stony and low in nutrients on the upper slopes, while on terraces and lower slopes they are deeper and more clay-rich.
The climate is cool-oceanic and is shaped by continental and southern influences. The Côte de Beaune provides climatic protection and a warmer mesoclimate; in the Saint-Aubin valley, exposure and topography promote sunshine and drainage.
Wine
The official product entry for this climat refers to a still white wine: Saint-Aubin premier cru Le Charmois blanc. Saint-Aubin white wines are produced from Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc. For the Premier-Cru white wines, the specification describes a pale golden colour, a rounded, full-bodied texture and a mineral character.
Appellation rules
The AOC Saint-Aubin was recognised in 1937; a list of the climats authorised for “premier cru” was created in 1943. Premier-Cru vineyards must be planted with at least 9,000 vines per hectare. Irrigation is forbidden, and the wines must ripen for at least until 15 March of the year following the harvest.
