Les Frionnes is one of Olivier’s most important and favourite vineyards, which he says does particularly well in dry years, thanks to its decomposed Kimmeridgian limestone soil. He has five parcels within it, with vines varying in age from 10 to 80 years old. The soils’ similarity to those found in Chablis and Sancerre is not just an academic point - you can really feel it in the wine. It has an oyster shell nose, and a Chablis-esque chiselled frame on the palate.
Thanks to Olivier Lamy’s expert winemaking, Domaine Hubert Lamy has become one of the stars of St-Aubin. The estate has been in the hands of husband and wife team Olivier and Karine since 1995, although its history predates them significantly. The vineyards can be traced back to 1640, while the domaine itself was started by Hubert Lamy in 1973. Hubert’s extensive expansion over the 1990s led to the accumulation of vineyards across St-Aubin, Chassagne-Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet and Santenay, with production roughly split between 80% Chardonnay" and 20% Pinot Noir. Thanks to his fanatical dedication to his vineyards, a penchant for high density planting and a fully organic approach, Olivier is regarded as a winemaker to watch in the Côte de Beaune. His quality level soars with each vintage and his painstaking attention to detail in the cellar results in expressive, finely-crafted Burgundies.