Domaine Couturier Saint Veran La Coeur des Bois, 2021

Grapes for this lovely wine come from 70- to 80-year old Chardonnay vines in the southern Maconnais. La Coeur du Bois is a small plateau with alluvial soil and large stones--very acidic, sandy loam on a clay base that is also very acidic. The resulting wine is more like Chablis than white Burgundies fron the Cotes de Beaune.

Medium deep yellow. Elegance personified. Intense bouquet of flowers, pears, apples and white peaches. Lemon curd acidity. Not too sweet upfront but fresh and lively leading to a long, refined fruit-oriented finish. Exciting flavors that cling to the memory long after the final sip. A special wine.

Marcel Couturier's La Coeur des Bois retails for $40 to $50 a bottle--well out of my price range. But I have found it several times for $15 to $20 on WineBid.