Chassagne Montrachet Wines

wines

There are fully 125 barrels of the 2018 Chassagne-Montrachet Village, a lovely wine in the making that reveals aromas of warm bread, citrus oil, fresh peach and dried white flowers. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, satiny and nicely concentrated, with fine cut and a well-defined finish. That there’s so much volume this year is great news for Moreau fans.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 89-91 RP(Domaine Bernard Moreau Chassagne-Montrachet Villages White) Discreet wood influence sets off the ripe aromas of various white-fleshed fruit along with hints of matchstick and lemon rind. The rich and relatively full-bodied flavors possess both good detail and punch, all wrapped in a less refined but notably more complex finale. This is a quality Chassagne villages. (Drink starting 2023).Burghound | 89-91 BH(Chassagne-Montrachet- Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils) The 2018 Chassagne villages here was all ready for bottling and was just settling in for another month or so prior to its mise. The wine had been assembled at the end of July and fined the last week of October, so it was showing very well in mid-November. The nose is pure and very floral this year, offering up a fine blend of pear, apple, a lovely base of soil, lemon blossoms and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and succulent at the core, with a zesty girdle of acidity, lovely focus and grip and impressive backend mineral drive on the complex and beautifully balanced finish. Fine juice. (Drink between 2020-2045).John Gilman | 91 JG

The 2018 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos Saint-Jean has also turned out well, unfurling with aromas of pear, orange oil, white flowers and fresh pastry. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, satiny and nicely defined, its fleshy core of fruit balanced by juicy acids.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RPWhiffs of smoky reduction overshadow the underlying fruit that wisps of citrus do escape the fun so I would suggest a quick aeration if you’re going to try a bottle young. The mouthfeel of the middle weight flavors is slightly finer with good punch that carries over to the clean and dry finish. This could use a bit more depth, but more should develop if held for a few years first.Burghound | 90 BH

The Boudriotte blanc is produced from the climat Les Fairendes, located reasonably high on the slope, reaching almost to Les Ruchottes. This superb terroir for white wine has provided in 2018 a result that seamlessly melds citrus, mineral, and ripe apple aromas and balances them with surprisingly fresh acidity, a lovely depth of flavour on the palate, and impressive weight and length. Drinking Window 2021 - 2041.Decanter | 94 DECThe 2018 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Boudriotte is showing beautifully, unfurling in the glass with notes of toasted bread, pear, waxy citrus rind, smoke and popcorn. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and elegantly fleshy, it's seamless and elegant, with fine depth at the core and a long, delicately nutty finish. Already approachable, this will offer a broad drinking window.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPA mild touch of reduction is sufficiently subtle to permit the notes of white flowers, citrus rind and discreet wood to be discerned. There is an attractive sense of underlying tension to the delicious medium weight flavors that possess focused power and good delineation on the lingering finish that flirts with rusticity. This well-made effort needs to develop more depth but it appears to have the requisite density to do so. (Drink starting 2028)Burghound | 91 BHA grassy, herbal note makes this white distinctive, adding to the lemon and apple fruit. It finds more focus in the end, leaving a butterscotch- and pastry-tinged finish. Drink now through 2024. 60 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

Among the most iconic Ramonet vineyards, this site on the slopes above Les Fairendes still has some of the vines planted by Pierre in the thirties. This old-vine fruit delivers a wine of impressive concentration. There is still a floral elegance typical of Ramonet, but there are also hints of ripe pear and white nectarine on the nose. The texture is firmly wound but not acerbic, the tension balanced by the ripe heft and extract of 2018. The superb balance carries this to a very satisfying finish. Drinking Window 2021 - 2041.Decanter | 96 DEC(Domaine Jean-Claude Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet "Les Ruchottes" 1er Cru White) Smoky and nicely fresh aromas speak mainly of petrol, citrus blossom, spice and a discreet hint of wood influence. There is fine energy to the fluid, round and delicious middle weight flavors that possess average density but excellent punch and power before terminating in a markedly bitter lemon rind and noticeably warm finale. This is very 2018 in style as one can "feel" the sunshine and a wine that is going to need at least some bottle age to better harmonize as it seems somewhat awkward at present. With that said, the track record of this wine is so good that I wouldn't care to bet against it rounding into form with a few years of keeping. (Drink starting 2026)Burghound | 93 BH

Moderate reduction overshadows the underlying fruit though there is both good freshness and verve to the impressively dense and sappy medium weight flavors that coat the palate with dry extract before concluding in a powerful, serious and only mildly rustic finale. This is a very fine Chassagne villages and well-worth checking out.Burghound | 89-92 BHHalf the crop was lost to the frost on 5th April, alas. However, the end result has been to provide a wine of astonishing concentration, in the very best sense – nothing heavy here, just remarkable intensity. Superb finish, with enormous dry extract in 2019.Jasper Morris | 89-92 JMThe 2019 Chassagne-Montrachet Village was a touch more subdued on the nose out of barrel, touches of nettle and white flower eventually emerge. The palate is well balanced with a saline entry. Here, there is more expressiveness and tension, citrus fresh with slithers of Clementine towards the pointed finish. Give this two or three years in bottle.Vinous Media | 89-91 VM

There is an alluring mix of spice, ripe peach fruit and a hint of seashore flavors in this supple, yet tangy white, which is balanced and juicy, with a lingering citrus finish. Lots of energy here. Drink now through 2025. 350 cases made, 80 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

This is toasty, featuring spice notes that frame peach and apple fruit flavors. Fluid and lively, with a hint of white flowers and fine balance, while a citrus element lines the finish. Drink now. 350 cases made, 60 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The 2019 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeots Rouge mingles aromas of cherries, licorice, forest floor and spices in an inviting mélange. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and elegant, with a pretty core of fruit, lively acids and delicate structuring tannins, it’s a study in contrasts with its more rustic, chewy 2018 predecessor.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP(Domaine Fernand et Laurent Pillot Chassagne-Montrachet "Morgeot" 1er Cru Red) Much more discreet oak influence surrounds the markedly earthy aromas of plum, violet and dark berry liqueur. The medium-bodied flavors are not quite as concentrated, but they still possess good mid-palate fat that helps to buffer the moderately rustic and firm finale where a touch of wood slowly emerges. (Drink starting 2029).Burghound | 89-92 BH

The 2019 Chassagne-Montrachet Maltroye 1er Cru has a fragrant, chalk dust scented bouquet that opens nicely with aeration. The palate is well balanced with a lightly spiced opening, touches of orange rind and marmalade lending a welcome tanginess. It might not be a long-term Chassagne, though it is thoroughly enjoyable. 14.10% alcohol.Vinous Media | 90 VM

Muscular and powerful, the 2019 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Ruchottes wafts from the glass with notes of pear, orange oil, peach, nutmeg and spices. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and concentrated, it’s a rich, broad-shouldered Ruchottes that’s quite demonstrative out of the gates.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

The domaine owns a bit more than a hectare here, in three parcels, with the white at the top of the slope. The fruit is lightly pressed before being run into cask for fermentation and the result is spectacular, with notes of lemon curd pie, fresh cream and white flowers on the nose, and a lively, exuberant texture on the palate. A tour de force. Drinking Window 2024 - 2039.Decanter | 94 DECThe 2019 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos Saint-Jean is showing very well, opening in the glass with scents of crisp yellow orchard fruit, white flowers, marzipan and fresh peach. Medium-bodied, bright and tensile, its satiny attack segues into a deep, lively core, concluding with a chalky finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP

From a parcel planted in 2000, this is a cuvée that goes from strength to strength, and the 2019 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Vergers is excellent. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of pear, pastry cream, buttered toast and citrus oil, it’s medium to full-bodied, satiny and incisive, with a tightly wound core, racy acids and a chalky finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP(Domaine Michel Niellon Chassagne-Montrachet "Les Vergers" 1er Cru White) There is an interesting hint of mint tea on the lightly wooded and cooler aromas of apple, pear and white flowers. I very much like the vibrancy of the delicious and attractively textured medium-bodied flavors that are agreeably dry and refreshing bitter lemon rind inflected finish that doesn’t quite offer the same depth and persistence. This is quite pretty though at present it’s not deep. (Drink starting 2025)Burghound | 91 BH

A blend of several different parcels, this is perfumed and lovely, with notes of raspberry, mineral and a touch of mint. The texture is silky and fine, with a pleasantly balanced finish. The fruit is 100% destemmed, macerated for a week and fermented on native yeasts. Extraction is done by punching down by foot. Drinking Window 2024 - 2039.Decanter | 92 DEC

Green apple and Mirabelle flavors are cutting and pure on the palate of this richly textured, supple wine. While plush in body and undeniably ripe, it has an edge of lemony acidity alongside streaks of crystalline minerality. Voluptuous yet freshly composed, it’s delightful young but should fare well through 2030. Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEPhilippe Colin farms a parcel of mostly 50-year-old vines within Les Chaumées, in the northwest corner of Chassagne, bordering St-Aubin. Given that it is near the top of the hill, where the soils are shallow without much clay, the site produced an impressively cool and expansive 2019, a wine with a long horizon line of flavor touching on sea salt, lime and stone. That stony, flinty character keeps the structure tight, set for long aging.Wine & Spirits Magazine | 94 W&SOnce again there is a petrol note to the more floral and less citrus-infused nose. There is excellent richness to the sappy medium weight flavors that possess just a bit more overall depth and persistence on the balanced finale.Burghound | 90-92 BHButterscotch and citronella aromas and flavors mark this smooth white that’s toasty too, with vivid acidity keeping this focused and driving the long finish. Drink now through 2025. 900 cases made, 120 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

A completely different aromatic profile presents notes of rosemary oil, plenty of petrol and white peach. The succulent and very rich, even suave, medium weight flavors that possess fine mid-palate density and obvious power on the even slightly more complex and longer finale. This isn’t refined but it offers much to like.Burghound | 91 BH

The 2020 Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeot 1er Cru has a very focused, mineral-driven bouquet with touches of yellow plum, pressed flowers, lemon verbena and a hint of patisserie. The palate is well balanced, lively and full of energy, the 25% new oak neatly integrated. A lovely zestiness comes through on the finish. This is very promising.Vinous Media | 91-93 VM

The 2020 Chassagne-Montrachet Village has lovely definition and vibrancy on the nose - real energy here. The palate is focused and lightly spiced, a little oily in texture with ample depth on the finish. Excellent.Vinous Media | 91 VM

The 2020 Chassagne-Montrachet Village is just missing some definition on the nose at the moment. The palate is better with a judicious touch of reduction on the entry, fine depth with tropical notes furnishing the finish. Fine.Vinous Media | 88-90 VM

The 2020 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Fairendes is one of the highlights of the range this year. Bursting with aromas of peach, pear, hazelnut, nutmeg and both fresh and confit citrus, it’s medium to full-bodied, satiny and sensual, with excellent concentration, lively acids and a long, saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPA much more floral-suffused nose speaks of aromas of poached pear, orange peel and a whiff of anise. The palate impression of the finer and more precise medium weight flavors also possesses a beguiling texture thanks to the abundant and mouth coating dry extract, all wrapped in a solidly precise, lingering and more complex finale. This somehow manages to be generously proportioned yet a wine of grace and delineation. This too is worthy of consideration.Burghound | 92 BH

The 2020 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Champgains wafts from the glass with aromas of pear, orange oil, confit lemon and freshly baked bread. Medium to full-bodied, layered and open-knit, it’s a fleshy, charming wine that’s giving but lively.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPMore complex aromas consist of rosemary oil, pretty pear essence and whiffs of citrus confit. The utterly delicious and caressing medium-bodied flavors are rich to the point of opulence while coating the palate on the focused and lingering finale. This is very good and particularly so considering the young vines.Burghound | 91 BH