So, its 9am, 5 degrees Celsius outside with a freezing wind blowing through Chassagne-Montrachet, the only thing that could warm us up was the generous welcome given by Claudine Blain and her son Marc-Antonin (well that’s not quite right, heading back to our digs in Meursault, lighting a fire and climbing back into bed would have been just as warm, perhaps warmer but they are lovely people).
Marc-Antonin escorted us down into the cellars, which were a welcome respite from the weather outside (you know it’s cold when the cellars feel warm) and we worked our way through a bracket of 2011’s from barrel that had just been racked. Marc-Antonin described the wines in both colours as being relatively generous and forward. They were indeed quite easy to taste at this early stage from barrel.
2011 Chassagne-Montrachet: Nice and simple with orchard fruits and pleasant grapefruit like acidity. There is already roundness to this wine.
2011 Chassagne-Montrachet ‘Clos St.Jean’ 1er Cru: Lovely fruit that’s tinged with orange blossom. The citrus fruits are relatively direct in the mouth. It is a wine of good fullness and plenty of potential.
2011 Chassagne-Montrachet ‘Les Caillerets’ 1er Cru: More mineral and loads of citrus. Great shape and buffering fat from the high tensile spine. Very pleasurable to taste from cask.
2011 Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge: Pour me off a carafe of this now and I’m taking it out to lunch with me, just so delicious from cask. Only a relatively lightweight but immediately bright and punchy with sweet red fruits and supple tannins.
2011 Chassagne-Montrachet ‘Clos St.Jean’ Rouge: Very light in colour, very pretty of aroma. There’s a scent of rosé petals and Asian spice. It is loaded with delicate red fruits in the mouth and is fine and lacy.
2011 Volnay ‘Pitures’ 1er Cru: Really stony and rocky on the nose with a little earth as well. In the mouth it is full with good ‘Pommard side of Volnay’ grip.
We moved on to a few of the 2010’s, which had only been bottled for a couple of months but already show terrific balance and intensity.
2010 Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge: Sweet red fruits, good intensity with some underlying minerality.
2010 Chassagne-Montrachet ‘Clos St.Jean’ 1er Cru: Really spicy on the nose (think freshly grated ginger). It has lovely juicy fruit, if full with real fruit intensity, minerally line and mouth-watering acidity.
2010 Volnay ‘Pitures’ 1er Cru: A little shy on the nose. In the mouth luscious red fruits, that are laced with dried flowers, overlay a base of geological matter. The wine wears its oak just a little on its sleeve for now but fruit intensity is good and I suspect it will come into balance quite quickly with a little bottle age.
2010 Chassagne-Montrachet: Quite simple the best young village Chassagne I have had from this Domaine. The nose is already quite expressive with whiffs of honeysuckle, citrus blossom and just ripe peach. It is dense in the mouth with great line, fabulous balance and a chalk laden finish.
2010 Chassagne-Montrachet ‘Les Caillerets’ 1er Cru: The mineral and white flowers on the nose are restrained and fine yet so direct. In the mouth this wine has good flesh but is compact with piercing line. It has great presence and superb length of flavour.
A cheeky half of Grand Cru was a nice way to conclude the tasting.
2006 Bâtard-Montachet: Some crème pâtissière notes on the nose along with candied apple, toast and ripe peach. It is quite exotic, full and rich with good power and authority.
Cheers
Jeremy