2021 Au Bon Climat Hildegard

The Hildegard is a wine from the Blue series of au bon Climat. Blue series wines are the wines they like to show and are most proud of. Hildegard is a tribute to the history of Burgundy and to Hildegard's husband, Charlemagne. The Au Bon Climat Hildegard is a special blend and consists of 50% Pinot Gris, 40% Pinot Blanc and 10% Aligoté. The characteristic Hildegard aromas of melon, pear, white flowers and ground chalk are beautifully integrated. The taste profile follows this with an extra touch of butterscotch, from the maturation. A wine with richness and length. Rated 92 points by Wine Enthusiast and Parker and 94 points by Vinous.

Winemaker's Notes
Chardonnay wasn’t always grown in the Corton Charlemagne wine region of France. During the reign of King Charlemagne, it’s thought that Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Aligoté were the primary crops grown, rather than Chardonnay. This intrigued Jim Clendenen enough that in 1998 he created the first Hildegard blend at Au Bon Climat, named after Charlemagne’s wife. It was a success from the start, and they’ve continued to do so ever since.

To get the best of everything, this unique blend undergoes a long maturation (22 months) in new oak barrels from François Frères, which makes for something special. The wine has a texture, complexity and unique character that cannot be found in a single white grape variety. Each grape variety is hand-harvested, fermented and individually matured in new oak. After 2 years, the wines are carefully blended and released under the name Hildegard.

Background story
A wine named after an empress must be refined. Hildegard is a tribute to the history of Burgundy and to Hildegard’s husband, Charlemagne. During his reign in the early 800s, viticulture received a huge boost. Since its first vintage in 1998, Hildegard has been a Burgundy-inspired, masterful blend of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Aligoté, fermented and matured in new oak barrels from François Frères. By combining these three lesser-known grape varieties and giving them all the attention they need, the result is a wine that is more than the sum of its parts. The wine is reminiscent of a premium Chardonnay with a fruity profile, but has a character all its own.

FACT: In the Tab: Attachment you will find the official fact sheet of this beautiful wine. We will automatically send it to you when you order this wine. The wine is in our conditioned Wine Warehouse and if you come to pick up the wine you will also receive a nice discount. You will see your discount immediately when you choose Pick up in Checkout page. We are located almost next to the Rijksweg with plenty of parking. Click here for our address.  

About the Blue Series from Au Bon Climat

Blue Series wines are the wines they like to show and are most proud of. They are all made from the best cuvées from impressive vineyards and get the highest percentage of new French oak. Traditionally, the Blue Series includes a Chardonnay, "Nuits Blanche", a White Blend "Hildegard" and two Pinot Noirs, "Isabelle" and "Knox Alexander". The Blue Series also includes special bottlings such as "Larmes de Grappe" and Anniversary wines. This wine comes from the Historic Vineyard collection. As the official exclusive importer of Au Bon Climat, we of course carry these wines.