France Wines

wines

The village-level Chassagne Pot Bois from Lamy Pillot is an attractive wine with aromas of lemon peel, green apple, and a suggestion of linden flowers. The texture is fresh and crisp, relatively light in body, with enough substance to create a dynamic balance. It is interesting to compare the versions of Lamy-Pillot and Lamy-Caillat, both produced by Sébastien Caillat. The latter has slightly more smoky reductive notes and a more present salty minerality, while his work at Lamy-Pillot emphasises the purity of the fruit and floral notes. Both are delicious wines; the former is also a superb value.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2022 Chassagne-Montrachet Pot Bois derives from younger vines than those that produce the communal Chassagne-Montrachet bottling from Domaine Lamy-Caillat (which hails from the same high-quality hillside lieu-dit), but the terroir leaves the same imprint on this chiseled, electric wine. Offering up aromas of minty apple, pear, white flowers and freshly baked bread, it’s medium to full-bodied, satiny and incisive, concluding with a saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPClear fresh colour, with an energetic limestone nose, huge energy to this, stricter than the regular, I think horses for courses rather than one better than the other. Interesting finish though, with minerals and fresh plums together. Drink from 2027-2032. Tasted: October 2023.Jasper Morris | 91-93 JM

Fresh clear pale colour. The nose has less character than my favourites in the line-up. Takes a little time, then more emerges. There is something of a steely backbone, this is nicely made but I pine for pinot in this vineyard. Well balanced. Drink from 2027-2032. Tasted: October 2023.Jasper Morris | 91 JM

Lucie Coutoux explained that although La Maltroie and Champgains (as they spell it) are roughly the same elevations on the band of premier crus, there is more limestone in Champgains that gives a bigger wine. In 2022, this shows ripe notes of passionfruit and lime peel with an accent of hazelnut and hay. The texture is supple and rich, almost fat, but pleasantly so. The grapes are from the domaine’s parcel of 0.44 hectares at the top of the slope.Decanter | 94 DECA glowing pale lemon yellow. There is a clear white fruit charm to this, a little more chiselled than the softly welcoming Chenevottes, with a limestone length and purity at the finish. Drink from 2027-2032. Tasted: October 2023.Jasper Morris | 92 JM

The 2022 Chassagne-Montrachet Clos de la Maltroie 1er Cru is actually more backward on the nose compared to the Village Cru, tightly coiled with mineral-driven, malic fruit. The palate is well balanced with neatly integrated oak on the entry. Fresh and saline, there’s ample grip toward the finish, with just a touch of grilled walnut and fine length. Excellent. Tasted at merchants’ 2022 Burgundy tastings in London.Vinous Media | 93 VMAn attractive mid lemon. Slightly yellower fruit. Good acidity with a leaner style of fruit. Maltroie rarely shines in its youth, and this is again in the more austere style. Drink from 2027-2032. Tasted: October 2023.Jasper Morris | 91 JM