The 2015 Saint Aubin la Fontenotte, which sees a maximum 10% new oak and 30% aged in oak foudres, has a lovely pine needle, citrus fruit and nectarine-scented bouquet that opens nicely in the glass. The palate is well balanced with judicious use of oak that lends this Saint Aubin hints of brioche and vanilla without impeding upon the terroir expression. After a couple of minutes, I noticed an oyster shell tincture developing back on the aromatics. This is an intriguing Saint Aubin that probably touches premier cru quality.

The 2014 Saint Aubin la Fontenotte comes from 20-year vines that replaced Pinot Noir that was never compatible with its limestone soils. It has a very reserved, almost Chablis-like bouquet that is very well defined, cold granite and flint notes emerging from the glass. The palate is very well balanced with lime and citrus peel on the entry. The acidity here is nicely judged and whilst its village cru status does not convey any sense of "longeur" here, there is a sense of precision and vivacity. Drink over the next 4-6 years.

The 2013 Saint Aubin La Fontenotte, which comes from young 15-year-old grafted-over Pinot Noir vines, was bottled in August, has a bashful nose that needs to come out of its shell during the next few months. The palate is crisp on the entry, quite spicy on the back palate, with good weight, although it does not quite possess the complexity of the domaine’s other 2013 premier crus. Drink this over the next 5 or 6 years.

The 2012 Saint Aubin Le Fontenotte comes from vines planted in 1985 close to the village of Gamay. It has a lively bouquet with pear drop and citrus peel aromas. The palate is rounded on the entry with light honeyed tones and a touch of toffee filtering through on the finish. This domaine was one of my regular ports of call when visiting Burgundy and that does not change now. It was a pleasure to meet Damien Colin again. He runs the winery in the village of Gamay (what came first, village or grape?) with his brother Joseph who works mainly in the vineyard and Caroline more on the “admin” side. Their elder brother, Pierre-Yves can be found over in Chassagne having set up on his own after the 2005 vintage. I have always liked these wines for their straightforwardness, their direct approach. There is no messing about here: just simple winemaking tenets applied throughout their diverse portfolio at the heart of which lie several choice premier cru vineyards in Saint Aubin. In recent vintages there has been a concerted effort to replicate the wines of their father with slightly earlier picking to capture acidity as well as minimal batonnage and I think they do that well. These wines might not offer the fireworks that Pierre-Yves manages to conjure, but there is something “true” about them that I always like. Damien repeated the oft-heard tales of woe that beset vignerons during the growing season, which severely impacted his grand crus. The harvesters trooped into the vineyard on 19 September. “I never harvested such ripe grapes at those acidity levels,” remarked Damian, with most wines coming in at around 12.5%. Unfortunately, yields across the board were 50% down and both their Batard-Montrachet and Montrachet were reduced down to a half-barrel each. The sensitive nature of the vinification meant that I did not taste them. The application of new oak is prudent, this year nearly all the premier crus furnished with 15% new wood. Importer: no known importer in the United States, though available through most UK merchants.