Antoine Reniaume might be new on the Burgundy scene, but his wines do not "behave" that way. Case in point is his 2023 Rully Blanc Chene, a wine that totally knocked my socks off when I tasted it with importer Mike Tiano of the Haw River Wine Man last week.
From vineyards just south of Beaune in the Cote Chalonnaise, the village of Rully has long been home to some of Burgundy's greatest white wine values. Trust me you all, this is a thoroughbred of a White Burgundy with pure and wonderful flavors and a style typically reserved for wines that cost 2-3x the price.
Just 120 bottles available, and you won't find this at any other retail shops in WNC. If you're on the hunt for a beautiful and balanced White Burg for Thanksgiving dinner, look no further!
2023 Domaine Antoine Reniaume Rully Blanc 'Chene'
Top-Flight White Burgundy at a Crazy-Good Price! 92 points -- Yours Truly
I'm just going to say it -- you could put this into a blind tasting against much more expensive White Burgs, and it would hold its own. Delivering impeccable aromas and flavors of apricot, lemon curd, poached pear, roasted nut, and spice, Antoine Reniaume's Rully 'Chene' is a thing of beauty.
There is a precision and polish here that I rarely encounter in White Burgundies in this price range. As great of a value as Andre Bonhomme's legendary Macons, but more "Cote de Beaune-ish," this really comes together in the glass with a bit of time and air. Don't get me wrong, it's splendid upon the first pour, but it gets even better, as that classic chalky/flinty minerality emerges. A very complete wine.
The young Antoine Reniaume followed in the footsteps of his grandfather as a vigneron. After a master's degree in finance and a few years in the banking sector, he decided that he preferred the "agricultural life." He went back to school, got his wine degree, and did his apprenticeship at the famed Meo-Camuzet, one of the most celebrated domaines of the Cote d’Or.
He slowly saved up his money, acquired 7 hectares throughout the Cote Chalonnaise, and he released his first wines in 2016. Today, he is regarded as one of the rising stars of Burgundy. In fact, the 2022 version of this wine took home a gold medal at the Concours des Grands Vins de France last year. Vintage 2023 is another highly-regarded vintage, and I would happily award this with another gold medal :)
If you have liked the White Burgundies you've purchased from me in the past, you will love this one, I guarantee it. Just 120 bottles available, and I bought all that Mike had left. Get on it folks, this will be gone fast.
