Domaine Larue

In 1946, Guy Larue founded his family’s estate in the small hamlet of Gamay, in Saint-Aubin, located just behind the famed Montrachet and Chevalier-Montrachet slope. Much like its neighbor Chassagne-Montrachet to the south, Saint-Aubin was historically known for red wine, though the Larues have specialized in the great white crus of Saint-Aubin. In 1976, Guy’s son Denis assumed the reins of Domaine Larue and was joined by his brother, Didier, in 1982. In 2006, Denis’s son Bruno joined the Domaine, thus continuing the family’s winemaking lineage.

The Larue holdings are spread between the two villages of Saint-Aubin and Puligny-Montrachet, with a large concentration at the southern portion of the Saint-Aubin appellation. These holdings include seven premier cru climats, on south, southeast, and southwestern facing slopes, grown on variations of clay soils with a high concentration of limestone. Combined with the varying grades of slope and elevations ranging from 800 to 1200 feet, the Larues have a truly magical diversity within Saint-Aubin, one of the under-rated gems of Burgundy. The domaine's premier cru vineyard in Puligny-Montrachet, La Garenne, sits at a high altitude in the Hameau de Blagny, bordering Meursault. Their largest parcel, Saint-Aubin premier cru “Murgers des Dents de Chien,” shares its name with the Dents de Chien lieu-dit of Le Montrachet that is right around the corner and is the domaine's prized vineyard, capable of producing wine that can age and improve in the bottle for decades.

Wines from Larue possess purity, energy, and an invariable minerality derived from the predominant limestone soils of Saint-Aubin. The Larues are meticulous and precise in all aspects of winegrowing and winemaking and their wines reflect these qualities. Tasting the full range is a veritable tour of the appellation, with each terroir’s individual and striking signature clearly evident. These wonderful white Burgundies have the additional benefit of being approachable young, although they are tightly wound and can always benefit from a few extra years of bottle age.

Technical Information

Wine	Blend	Vine Age	Soil Type	Vineyard Area*
Bourgogne Rouge	Pinot Noir	Planted 1978	Clay, Limestone	.32 ha
Saint-Aubin	Chardonnay	Planted 1995, 2006	Clay, Limestone	.25 ha
Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Sous Roche Dumay	Chardonnay	Planted in 1969, 1973, 1985, 1994	Clay, Limestone	.94 ha
Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Les Combes	Chardonnay	Planted 1985	Alluvial deposits, Clay, Limestone	.46 ha
Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Montceau	Chardonnay	Planted 1963, 2000	Clay, Limestone	.43 ha
Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Les Cortons	Chardonnay	Planted 1992	Clay, Limestone	.48 ha
Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly	Chardonnay	Planted 1989	Limestone	.35 ha
Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Murgers des Dents de Chien	Chardonnay	Planted 1946, 1964, 1972, 1990, 1997	Clay, Limestone	1.12 ha
Saint-Aubin Rouge 1er Cru Sur le Sentier du Clou	Pinot Noir	Planted 1966-1995	Clay, Limestone	1.10 ha
Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru La Garenne	Chardonnay	Planted 1946, 1950, 1963, 1975	Clay, Limestone, (with fossil deposits)	.59 ha
Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Sous le Puits	Chardonnay	Planted 1951, 1982	Clay, Limestone	1.88 ha
Saint Aubin “Les Eduens”	Pinot Noir	Planted 1972, 1980	Limestone	1.08 ha
Blagny 1er Cru Sous le Puits	Pinot Noir	Planted 1946	Clay, Limestone	.21 ha
* "ha" = hectares; one hectare equals roughly two and a half acres

VITICULTURE / VINIFICATION

• Vineyards are sustainably farmed
• All grapes are harvested and sorted by hand

Whites:
• Primary fermentation in barrel (25% new)
• Aged sur-lie for 10-12 months with occasional lees stirring
• Wine is racked before bottling

Reds:
• Grapes are de-stemmed
• Grapes are cold macerated, then must goes through primary fermentation in cement tanks with punch downs
• Must is pressed and racked into barrel (30-40% new)
• Wine ages for 12-18 months in barrel then 3-4 months in tank before being bottled unfiltered

Bourgogne Rouge:
• Vineyard located in the climat of “Fontaine Sot”, in the commune of Chassagne-Montrachet
• Grapes are de-stemmed
• Grapes are cold-macerated 3-5 days, then must goes through primary fermentation in cement tanks for 15-20 days with 3 punchdowns per day
• Aged 10 months in barrel (30-40% new) before bottling

Saint Aubin “Les Eduens”:
• Named after the population that lived in Saint-Aubin in Roman times