2022 Domaine Talmard Macon-Uchizy Chardonnay Burgundy 750 ml

It’s a memory that pops up in our white wine daydreams: Sitting at a beloved San Francisco brasserie, our table piled high with an ice-mounded plate of oysters, spiced and fried chickpeas, and an array of country pâtés and charcuterie. Swirling in our glasses was one of the few wines that could tie it all together: the exquisite Talmard Mâcon-Uchizy. 

Fragrant notes of lemon peel, Golden Delicious apple, and acacia, plus a mouthwatering, mineral palate went toe to toe with the oysters and sliced right through the richness of the pâté. Freshness and structure like this from Burgundy typically costs three times as much—in fact, at that brasserie you’ll pay $15 per glass for a wine eerily similar to this stunning Burgundy. 

Gérald Talmard is just the most recent in a line of grapegrowers from his family—the one that goes back to the 17th century—but he may have had the most dramatic impact. Young and quality-focused, he’s taken the clan’s esteemed domaine to new heights, building a modern cellar and updating the equipment to get the most out of the exquisite grapes from his family’s lands.

Importantly, he believes in picking earlier than many of his neighbors to balance the richness of the warm Mâconnais with zesty acidity. The cru of Uchizy is located in the northern portion of the Mâconnais, and the best vineyards in Uchizy are some of the great hidden secrets of Burgundy, yielding wines with ripe fruit and striking minerality. 

The result is a mouthwateringly fragrant and taut wine that resembles its pricey Côte de Beaune cousins much more than other wines at this price point. It’s one to pop without hesitation.