Jacques Bourguignon Chardonnay

The 2020 Jacques Bourguignon hails from the Vin de France appellation, which gives winemakers total control over where their grapes come from and how they make wine—thus avoiding the stringent regulations for producing Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) wines. That blank canvas allows winemakers to flex their blending skills and creativity to craft wines that can be just as harmonious, balanced, and fruit-driven as ones that follow the AOC playbook.

Wine Enthusiast’s Fiona Adams explains: “This freedom from French wine tradition has led to a wealth of creative, boundary-pushing wines.” Jacques Bourguignon’s Chardonnay, a blend from several appellations in the storied hills of the Languedoc in the sun-drenched south, is a perfect example, with all of the leesy, chalky minerals and fresh apples of white Burgundy and the body and golden generosity of a southern French white.