Reviews

Henri Germain et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot Les Fairendes

Bottle #1 - PREMOX - Poured a dark yellow. Inside of cork showed black. Smelled of sherry and roasted nuts. Taste was similar to the nose, with a brassy and WAY over-oxidized drying effect on the…

Domaine Vincent and Sophie Morey Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets

Of course as fate would have it, this bottle was damp newspaper flawed and totally defunct. Smelled of wet dog fur and blue cheese mold. Oxidized and flat on the palate. My note last month from…

Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets

Still performing well and evolving as expected from my previous tasting note last year. An inviting citrus punch that makes itself especially present mid-way through its execution adds instant…

Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Boudriotte

Similar to my note in February. This has perhaps gained an extra tick of heft since my last bottle. Medium intensity and energy, but with a lemon citrus and stone fruit complexity that beckons…

Domaine Michel Niellon Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Chaumées Clos de la Truffière

Bright, fresh, clean, and lemony, with floral and white stone elements adding to the vibrant profile. Finished a bit linear, but still carried the flavors forward through the back end. Previous note…

Domaine Vincent and Sophie Morey Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets

A beautiful execution, with an instant "damn, I wish I had bought more of this when K&L had their deal going for $50" kind of regret and satisfaction hitting me at the same time.

Domaine Michel Niellon Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Maltroie

Previous notes apply, except that this bottle seemed to have even more of an uptick in verve and energy compared to the one I had four months ago. Elevated freshness and a lemon zest punch made for a…

Château de la Maltroye Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos du Château de la Maltroye

I would suspect some bottle variation going on with this producer. The bottle I had a few months ago was much more brassy and slightly oxidized than this most recent bottle. Here, this was much…

Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Romanée

Continues to impress with its swirling array of mineral-injected citrus flavors and pithy/punchy delivery. A chalky frame keeps everything in keen focus. Notable chiseled speed here. Mid-palate…

Domaine Michel Niellon Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Vergers

Lemon and limestone, with some unripe pear and ripe green apple flesh. Medium all the way around, with a decent grip and speed to harness the flavors and provide focus. Hold this for a few years.…

Château de la Maltroye Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Grandes Ruchottes

Ripe and ready yellow citrus, petrol, olive oil, clementine, travertine, and some vanilla. Delicious now (I can't figure out if I'm concerned or happy about that). Lacks a little speed from what I'd…

Domaine Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot

Mature and ready for consumption. Viscous honeyed lemon and yellow citrus, pineapple, light olive oil, hints of butterscotch, brass rail, and some torched sugar. Luckily, this finishes dry and…

Henri Germain et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot Les Fairendes

Fresh squeezed lemon and lime juice, Squirt, coconut meat, and white rock. Excellent purity and focus, with an ultra-clean and fresh delivery. Finishes higher-toned with light yellow/white fruit and…

Domaine Michel Niellon Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Chaumées Clos de la Truffière

An exquisite bottle of wine, with a beautifully balanced sense of vivacity; lime and lemon zest, lemon verbena, mint sprig, white wedding flowers, and wet limestone. Excellent intensity, with a…

Château de la Maltroye Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Grandes Ruchottes

Preserved Meyer lemon, olive oil, bruised lemon zest, cantaloupe rind, and yellow pear skin. Full and unctuous, with a ripe lemony profile. Slightly angular on the finish, but with a big dollop of…

Domaine Michel Niellon Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Chaumées Clos de la Truffière

Bottle #2. WAY better than the bottle I had yesterday that was a total flaccid dud. Clearly bottle variation going on here. This bottle was fresh and vibrant, with lemon juice, lemon zest, lemon…

Domaine Michel Niellon Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Chaumées Clos de la Truffière

Flat and pretty lifeless in terms of drive. A "pfud" execution. There are flavor elements that seem pure, but there just wasn't much exuberance or verve to push the fruit to the front. Drinkable, but…

Château de la Maltroye Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos du Château de la Maltroye

Baked apple pie filling, poached pear, ripe lemon, acacia, dry oatmeal, smokey char, and brassy preserved lemon rind. Leesy and yeasty, with a more rounded and ripe profile overall. Don't expect the…

Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Boudriotte

Clean, fresh, and wonderfully balanced, the Boudriotte saunters its way across the palate with pure yellow citrus flavors that are flanked by quince, grass, and mineral elements that add to its…

Domaine Michel Niellon Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Maltroie

Candied lemon peel, ripe yellow citrus, lemon curd, white and yellow peach, pineapple rind, acacia, and wet limestone. A medium-plus front end gives way to an extremely balanced and exquisitely…

Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets

Lemon juice, unripe pineapple, honeysuckle, lemon seed, white pear pulp, and travertine. An exacting delivery and deliberate execution of flavors, with a serious, chiseled side to it that is…

Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Vergers

An interesting dried apricot, floral, and almost soapy nose. On the palate, more dried apricot, fresh cut dry grass, acacia, lemon verbena, and wet white rock notes. Medium intensity, with air…

Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Romanée

Punchy and powerful, with a speedy delivery of lip-smackingly vibrant yellow citrus and white stone fruit. Lemon juice, lemon zest, lychee, white nectarine, kaffir lime, wet white clay, and acacia…

Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets

So I know most of ya'll Burghound followers and the like need to keep the scores in the 88-92 range for whatever reason when evaluating 1er Cru Burgundy, but I'm gonna go out on a limb and say this…

Château de la Maltroye Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Boudriotte Rouge

Simple and flat. Primary and linear to the point it has little sense of focus and direction. It is just kind of "there" on the palate. Some cherry flavors are....um... 'noticed,' I suppose, but they…