There are few white wine producers in Burgundy—or anywhere—more revered than Hubert Lamy. The family has tended vines since 1640, but it’s under Olivier Lamy’s stewardship that the domaine has become one of the most thrilling names in the region. Working largely in Saint-Aubin—a once-overlooked appellation now prized for its altitude and cooling winds—Olivier has proven that greatness doesn’t always reside where tradition says it should.
Saint-Aubin’s cooler slopes, funneled by a dramatic combe, offer the kind of natural air-conditioning that today’s warmer vintages desperately need. In Olivier’s hands, this terroir becomes electric. He pushes boundaries in the vineyard, planting at dizzying densities—30,000 vines per hectare—forcing the roots to dive deep and struggle in competition. The payoff is immense: chardonnays that are pure tension and grace, etched with stony precision and luminous energy.
Fermented and aged in large-format barrels with minimal new oak, the wines are never dressed in wood. They speak fluently in the language of their site—steep, rocky, cool. Farming is meticulous and organic. And the wines? They’ve become some of the most coveted in Burgundy, snapped up by those who understand that elegance born of hardship is the most beautiful kind of reward.
Derriere Chez Edouard Haute Densité is one of the most astounding experiments in Burgundy. This is the wine that really has made Hubert Lamy a star. The plot is all of .1 hectares of chardonnay vines that Olivier planted at stupendous densities of 30,000 vines per hectare. The vines are 20-years-old on a plot above Saint-Aubin in the steeps of shallow, stony clay over white marl. The vines are farmed with tremendous attention and care using only organic methods. After hand harvesting, the grapes are crushed and pressed and the juice is allowed to settle overnight. Fermentation takes place with ambient yeasts. The wine ages for 24 months on the lees in 300 liter and 600 liter barrels of partially used oak before aging an additional 6 months in tank. Sulfur is only added during aging. This wine unfurls in the glass like an orange flower carved out of stone laid upon honeycomb, white flowers, and toasted slivers of almonds. A beam of acid shines through the wine keeping all of the pieces agile and balanced.
Wine Advocate calls this vintage “a masterpiece.” 97 points WA
