Chassagne Montrachet

wines

A more moderate dollop of wood can be found on the smoky aromas of petrol, rosemary oil and a variety of white fleshed fruit. The finer, though not nearly as concentrated, medium weight flavors display excellent power on the focused, balanced and saliva-inducing finale. This is more classic in style than any of the foregoing 1ers and a wine that should repay mid-term keeping.Burghound | 90-92 BH

Bottled in late July. Pale lemon colour. A pure and fresh bouquet, mostly white fruit. Particularly stony this year behind a raft of white apple fruit, plenty of energy, starting to soften at the back. Middleweight plus, quite attractive. Tasted Oct 2023.Jasper Morris | 92 JM

Fine lemon and lime colour. The bouquet is very alluring and signals a yellow fruit style. Guillaume thinks the plant material is earlier ripening here than in Vergers. The fruit is sunny, the finish remains all lemons and limes. Tasted Oct 2023.Jasper Morris | 91-93 JMThe 2022 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Chenevottes 1er Cru has an impressive sense of delineation and poise on the nose, yellow fruit commingling with sea spray and linseed aromas, and a touch of chai tea. The palate is well-balanced with a fine line of acidity, taut and fresh with subtle stem ginger notes towards the Meursault-like finish. Good potential.Vinous Media | 90-92 VM

For many years now I have felt that Alex Moreau produces the very finest example of Chassagne-Montrachet villages in the entire commune and his 2022 is once again, an outstanding bottle of wine. The bouquet is deep, precise and complex, wafting from the glass in a refined blend of apple, pear, a touch of almond, a beautiful base of chalky soil tones, vanillin oak and a topnote of orange blossoms. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a beautiful core of fruit, excellent soil signature and grip, a fine spine of acidity and a long, well balanced and youthful finish. Like many of the best 2022 white Burgundies, this wine is already quite tasty, but it will be an even better drink if given three or four years’ worth of bottle age to allow it to fully blossom. Fine juice. (Drink between 2025-2050)John Gilman | 92 JGAn even lemon and lime colour. Energy on the nose, not yet so much detail. The palate delivers its usual resounding success, a mass of pure white fruit which builds in intensity to the back and finishes with the lightest of toasty notes which is complementary. Excellent length. Not only is this really good, there are 100 barrels of it! Drink from 2026-2032. Tasted Nov 2023.Jasper Morris | 91-94 JMMoreau’s production has diminished to the extent that space is no longer a constraint, meaning that he can afford the 2022 Chassagne-Montrachet Blanc a longer élevage on the lees than was hitherto the case. The wine is shaping up nicely, revealing aromas of pear, green apple, white flowers and toasted nuts, followed by a medium to full-bodied, lively and attractively complete palate.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 89-91 RPThe 2022 Chassagne-Montrachet Village has a very composed bouquet with yellow plum, fresh pear and light lemon verbena scents that gain momentum in the glass. The well-balanced palate is harmonious and focused, with a keen line of acidity and a dab of orange rind and peach skin on the finish. A delight.Vinous Media | 89-91 VMSmoke and petrol nuances add breadth to the aromas of rosemary oil, pear and soil tones. There is impressive volume to the dense and seductively textured medium weight flavors thanks to the abundant amount of dry extract that imparts a sappy quality to the lingering, powerful and balanced finale. This is noticeably less refined, indeed it’s mildly rustic, but offers excellent quality for its level. Recommended.Burghound | 89-92 BH

The 2023 Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeots 1er Cru has a little more mineralité on the nose than the Vergers. Its bouquet contains light hints of clementine and beeswax aromas. The palate is well balanced, fresh and concentrated with a slightly viscous opening. It just needs a little more terroir to shape the finish.Vinous Media | 90 VM

More yellow in the colour, a waxy flesh, slight evolution in the sample, I cannot quite see the stones up front. They do appear on the palate and the wine extends very well through to a flinty finish, with some saline notes right at the back. Drink from 2028-2034. Tasted Nov 2024.Jasper Morris | 91-93 JMThe 2023 Chassagne-Montrachet En Cailleret 1er Cru has a strict, almost sullen nose that demands coaxing from the glass, with hints of chamomile interlacing the orchard fruit, though I seek just a little more mineralité. The palate is well balanced with tropical notes of passionfruit and guava on the entry. Smooth in texture with countervailing acidity, the 2023 finishes open and easy-drinking. Drink just a year after bottling and enjoy this in its youth.Vinous Media | 89-91 VM

The 2023 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Houillères is a level up from the regular Village, with more mineralité and terroir expression. The palate is well balanced and linear in style, with a keen line of acidity, fine weight and a sapid, chamomile-tinged close. Maybe the 2022 had a touch more depth on the finish, but this is worth seeking out.Vinous Media | 91 VMOld vines with a younger plot as well. Mid lemon yellow. The bouquet has a discreet distinction, more in minerals than flesh, one jar again. Tighter and more precise on the palate, with a light ripe citrus note added to the orchard fruit. In bottle. Drink from 2027-2030. Tasted Nov 2024.Jasper Morris | 91 JM

The 2023 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Fairendes is showing especially well, revealing aromas of pear and crisp white peach mingled with hints of matchstick, toasted nuts and flowers. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and layered, it’s unctuous and elegant, with terrific purity and a penetrating finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93+ RP5 barrels are kept separate from the Morgeot blend. Pale colour, attractive energy to this, more upper slope class than the Morgeot mix. A wealth of fruit across the palate, generous and charming together, with energy behind. A complete white fruit wine that is worth taking time over. Drink from 2028-2034. Tasted Nov 2024.Jasper Morris | 93 JMThis is even more floral-suffused with notes of acacia, white rose and gardenia adding breadth to the ripe yet cool aromas of pear, apple and crushed fennel. The rich, generously proportioned and solidly powerful larger-bodied flavors manage to remain nicely refined on the sappy and palate staining finish. This is also worth checking out.Burghound | 92 BH

The 2024 Chassagne-Montrachet Maltroye 1er Cru has a clean, fresh bouquet with simmering mineralité that comes through with time, a little Puligny-like in style. The palate is well balanced, the one-third new oak neatly integrated, not a powerful Chassagne but there is a sense of nervosité that runs through this wine that I appreciate.Vinous Media | 92 VM

The 2024 Chassagne-Montrachet Vergers 1er Cru has an expressive nose with walnut and light fumé scents filtering through the citrus fruit. Good intensity. The palate has a subtle reduction on the entry, good intensity, more citrus-driven than the Clos des Murées with a sorbet-fresh finish that leaves a dab of ginger on the aftertaste. Excellent.Vinous Media | 93 VM

The 2024 Chassagne-Montrachet Village is Niellon’s largest cuvée, around 20,000 bottles, representing the entire appellation—10 different climats from 15 parcels. This is quite forward on the nose, with perfumed fresh lime scents intermixed with a touch of apricot. It is very… giving. The palate is actually more complex than the nose: fresh and quite edgy, well-integrated oak, nicely focused with a touch of pepperiness towards the finish. Well worth seeking out.Vinous Media | 90 VM

Pale lemon colour. The bouquet has a little extra concentration, firm footed fruit. The white fruit blossoms rather more on the palate, delivering an attracting middle weight Chassagne, extending further at the finish. The Chenevottes was a little riper at the harvest, coming in at 12% before chaptalisation.Jasper Morris | 92 JM

The 2024 Chassagne-Montrachet Village is a blend of three lieux-dits with 30% new oak. It has a brick nose with green apples and crushed limestone, quite reserved yet well defined. The palate is fresh on the entry with bright acidity, touches of orange pith and tangerine that lead to a nicely textured and quite persistent finish. This is a well crafted Chassagne-Village that should age well in bottle.Vinous Media | 91 VMIn bottle. Mid lemon yellow. Discreet and fine on the nose, understated. Then the wine begins to build on the palate, becoming very stylish further back, a supremely elegant Chassagne which should be good to enjoy early but might surprise with additional longevity. Drink from 2027-2030. Tasted Oct 2025.Jasper Morris | 91 JM

Once again there is a touch of post-bottling reduction that’s enough to push the fruit to the background. More interesting are the strikingly textured, concentrated and powerful larger-bodied flavors that are borderline aggressively mineral that adds an additional sense of lift to the firm, superbly long and impeccably well-balanced finale. This is a knockout and highly recommended.Burghound | 94 BHMore lemon than yellow in colour, with a limestone upper hillside touch, and just a tendril or two of riper peach notes, notwithstanding that the core is well anchored. The finish fleshes out just a little in this excellent En Remilly. Drink from 2030-2035. Tasted Oct 2025.Jasper Morris | 92-95 JMThe 2024 Chassagne-Montrachet En Remilly 1er Cru has more reduction on the nose, which makes it tricky to read at the moment. The palate is better than the nose thanks to that acidity. Fresh and saline, with just a touch of orange rind and bitter lemon here that together lend tension on the finish. Give it a couple of years in bottle.Vinous Media | 90-92 VM

Glowing mid yellow. The bouquet is once again relatively discreet, but the sheer class of La Romanée expresses itself beautifully on the palate. This has more backbone than the others, even Cailleret, while the fruit profile has scarcely formed as yet. I am taking my time to taste this to watch it develop. A little barrel toast comes along as well. Drink from 2030-2035. Tasted Oct 2025.Jasper Morris | 93-95 JMHere too there is just enough post-bottling reduction to push the underlying fruit to the background but again, I doubt that it will last. There is a bit more size and weight to the bigger-bodied flavors that exude both evident minerality and obviously power on the medium dry, focused, balanced and lingering finale that isn’t quite as structured. This could use better depth so a few years of keeping should help.Burghound | 92 BHThe 2024 Chassagne-Montrachet La Romanée 1er Cru is another cuvée that is a tad reserved on the nose, a bit smokier with just a hint of reduction. The palate is well balanced with a bit more "cut" than the En Cailleret, though it remains conservative and linear towards the finish when you are willing it to kick on. Not bad overall though.Vinous Media | 90-92 VM

A markedly more floral-suffused nose, especially acacia and carnation, displays additional notes of petrol, white peach and zest. As one would reasonably expect, there is better volume and overall size to the delicious and sappy medium-bodied flavors that exhibit fine length but not necessarily better depth on the slightly more structured finale. This is very good but at present, it’s not materially better than the Houillères.Burghound | 91 BHA full lemon yellow. Clearly more fruit weight, between apple and plum, while retaining the fresh style of the vintage. There is a fresh almond note here, something slightly more waxy in texture, everything well in place, with good length as well. Young vines from 2017 are already showing real promise. Drink from 2029-2032. Tasted Oct 2025.Jasper Morris | 91-94 JMThe 2024 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Fairandes 1er Cru has a more aromatic bouquet than the Les Houillères, with touches of orange pith, French patisserie and almonds unfolding in the glass. The palate is well balanced with a slightly tangy opening. Not a deep or powerful Chassagne-Montrachet but there is plenty of flavour, even if other cuvées possess more in the way of mineralité. Enjoy this over the next decade.Vinous Media | 90-92 VM

The 2024 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Houillères is raised in one-third new oak. It is reserved at first, with scents of apple blossom and citrus peel intermixed with petrichor and wet limestone. It just needs more intensity. The palate is well balanced with hints of apricot and pineapple on the entry, a silver thread of acidity leading to a spicy lemongrass-tinged finish that lingers in the mouth. It will be approachable young but should age in bottle.Vinous Media | 91 VMSuper-fresh aromas include those of smoky apple, pear, citrus, petrol and a similar whiff of rosemary oil. The rich, delicious and caressing yet powerful medium weight flavors that exhibit excellent length on the balanced, sappy and lightly austere finale. This is terrific for a villages-level Chassagne and while it could use better depth, the underlying material appears more than up to the job of developing it with a few years of bottle aging.Burghound | 91 BHIn bottle. Bright mid lemon colour. A touch of oak here as well as some candied citrus aromatics. The fruit is altogether more evident at the front of the palate and continues with energy through to a persistent finish. Drink from 2028-2031. Tasted Oct 2025.Jasper Morris | 91 JM