For a wine region steeped in tradition, sky-rocketing prices and demand for wines, and an adherence to a narrow bandwidth of styles, Santini Collective is one heck of a unique thing in good old Burgundy. Santini is the work of French-American winemaker Christopher Santini who operates out of his collective winery in Auxey-Duresses, a hotbed for younger gen wine producers from greater Burgundy. While other winemakers toil away at their various projects inside the ‘Auxey-Collective winery’, Chris works alongside his brothers to produce their compelling, yet relatively eccentric range of wines. All fruit come from organic soil and sees natural winemaking applied, with only a tiny amount of sulphur added in some of the wines. The creativity is rife.
The current releases are brilliant, vibrant and delicious; they twist the shape and form of classic Burgundy and offer drinkers an intriguing insight into alternative potential for local grape varieties through the lens of varying and experimental styles. Skin fermentation forms the bedrock for white grape variety wines (the Aligote is off the charts good) and who isn’t interested in the thirst-quenching, perfumed Pinot Beurot that sees skin fermented pinot gris blended into chardonnay – a wild take on Burgundy. The whole range is outstanding, wildly delicious, set for bragging rights amongst your wine loving friends. To complete the package, we also just happen to have a two wines made by Santini Collective compadre Jon Purcell under the Vin Noe label... Hooley dooley.