Saint-Aubin is a small village in the Côte de Beaune, tucked into the hills directly behind Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet. For most of the 20th century it was an afterthought, sold off as cheap white Burgundy. The reputational shift came in the late 1990s when several growers — Hubert Lamy chief among them — started farming Saint-Aubin like a great vineyard, with results that justified the work.

Geography.

The village sits in a side valley off the main Côte d'Or escarpment. The vineyards face every direction, but the best slope southeast and east, on the same limestone bedrock that runs under Montrachet. Premier cru sites like En Remilly literally share the hill with Chevalier-Montrachet — only the road separates them.

What it makes.

Roughly 75% white (Chardonnay) and 25% red (Pinot Noir). The whites are the reason the appellation has reputation. Reds are pleasant, lighter-styled, and significantly cheaper than Volnay or Pommard.

Premier cru sites.

The appellation has 20 climats classified Premier Cru. The most important:

En Remilly. The closest to Chevalier-Montrachet. Pure limestone, southeast exposure. The most age-worthy and mineral wines in the village.

Les Murgers des Dents de Chien. “The walls of dog teeth” — named for the rocky outcrops. Steep, stony, intense.

La Chatenière. Slightly more clay. Plumper, earlier-drinking.

Sur le Sentier du Clou, En Champlot, Le Charmois. Other notable sites, mostly between the village and the Chassagne border.

Style of the wines.

Saint-Aubin Chardonnay typically shows lemon pith, white peach, crushed stone, and on the better cuvées, sourdough and white-flower lift. The wines have noticeable acidity — they're built on tension rather than weight. Top examples drink beautifully at 5-12 years from vintage.

Why it represents value.

The same rock that makes Montrachet's great whites runs under Saint-Aubin. The exposure differs by a few degrees. The slope is a touch steeper. The village is smaller. But Saint-Aubin Premier Cru sells for a third of the price of Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru. For anyone willing to step off the famous-name path, this is one of the great deals in Burgundy.

Producers we know.

Hubert Lamy is the reference. Other names worth seeking: Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey (also makes outstanding Saint-Aubin), Marc Colin (Pierre-Yves's father), Hubert Lamy-Monnot, Henri Prudhon.