The 2023 David Duband Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Chardonnay is an expressive 100% Chardonnay from the hills west of Burgundy’s Côte de Nuits, combining generous texture with citrus freshness. Based in Chevannes, David took over the family domaine in 1991, developing a reputation for wines that communicate their vineyard origins with clarity and finesse. This white comes from vines around 40 years old on southwest-facing slopes, rooted in limestone and marl. The Hautes-Côtes are the domaine’s home territory, making this an interesting opportunity to explore Duband’s work through Chardonnay alongside his better-known Pinot Noir wines.
The 2023 offers ripe orchard fruit, candied citrus and toasted cereal notes, with chamomile, delicate floral hints and a subtle herbal character adding complexity. The domaine describes a full, enveloping palate with an almost creamy texture, balanced by lively citrus tension. The grapes are picked and sorted by hand, then pressed and settled before fermentation with indigenous yeasts. Maturation lasts 10 months in oak barrels, approximately 20% new, with the remainder in barrels between one and five years old. This brings texture and gentle oak influence to a wine whose appeal lies in its combination of fruit depth, freshness and aromatic detail.
