2023 Maison Andre Goichot Bourgogne Chardonnay

Maison André Goichot has been part of Burgundy since 1947, but it didn’t start with grand vineyards or a famous appellation. André-Marcel Goichot, the son of a vineyard worker, built the business from the ground up—literally collecting empty bottles and trading them for full ones before buying his first barrel of wine.

Three generations later, the family is still at the helm, and Goichot remains one of Burgundy’s independent family-run négociant houses. But the business has changed with each generation. What began as wine trading grew into bottling and distribution, then, under the younger generation, into farming and winemaking of their own.

That shift is important here. The family first moved into vineyard ownership in 1976 with Château de la Guiche, where they planted their first vines a few years later. They later took over Domaine des Guignottes and, in 2016, Château du Cray, a historic 22-hectare estate in the Côte Chalonnaise that had been in the Perret du Cray family since 1798.

So while Goichot has the reach of a négociant, there is also a much more hands-on side to the house today: they know Burgundy not just by buying its wines, but by working its vineyards.

For this Chardonnay, the focus is the Côte Chalonnaise, with hand-picked fruit gently pressed and raised in stainless steel rather than oak. The first three months on fine lees bring texture and depth without covering up the character of the Chardonnay.

The result is a more restrained side of Burgundy: hazelnut, a touch of honey and a subtle creaminess, followed by a dry, fresh finish. There’s richness here, but it doesn’t come from a barrel. It comes from the fruit, the lees and the place.