Arbois En Paradis Chardonnay Vieilles Vignes Rijckaert 2022

Lot presentation

Arbois En Paradis Chardonnay Vieilles Vignes Rijckaert 2022

The wine

This Chardonnay cuvée is matured for 10 months in oak barrels, most of which are three or four years old. It delivers notes of white flowers, hazelnuts, walnuts and curry, while the palate reveals an attractive tautness and pleasant fruitiness.

Domaine Rijckaert began fairly recently in 1998 when it was set up by Jean Rijckaert. This Belgian began his winemaking career in Burgundy where he fell in love with Chardonnay. After this Rijckaert cofounded the maison de négoce Verget with the famous winemaker Jean-Marie Guffens. A few years later, Rijckaert decided to buy his own domain and bought some vines in Leynes in the south of the Mâconnais as well as 5 hectares in the Jura. His domain straddles the Mâconnais and the Jura and spans a total of 9 hectares. Rijckaert is also involved in negociant activity, buying grapes that meet his exacting standards from many different appellations in Burgundy (up to 400 hectolitres). In the chai, vinification takes place plot by plot and only natural yeasts are used. A small amount of sulphites are added and some of the wines are filtered. Fermentation and maturation take place in oak barrels, a small proportion of these barrels being new oak. In 2013, Rijckaert began gradually handing over his domain to Florent Rouve who continues Rijckaert's exacting standards with visible success. The wines have exuberant fruit notes and are of excellent quality.