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Domaine Heitz Lochardet 2017
My first visit to Domaine Heitz Lochardet and Armand Heitz welcomed us warmly. Most of the 2018 were not ready for tasting so we went through most of the 2017 whites and reds as well as the entry level 2018. In 2017, Armand Heitz made a superb portfolio of 2017 whites and surprisingly delicious 2017 reds, the 100% whole cluster style in their Pinot Noir matched the vintage characteristics really well – elegant and flamboyant, offering plenty of pleasure to drink young. A producer to keep an eye out for both their whites and reds! Winemaking 100% wholecluster in all their reds in 2017 since they didn’t have a destemmer…
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Domaine Bruno Colin 2018
2018 was a fruitful vintage for Domaine Bruno Colin. Their whites are open-knit and charming, and their reds were better than I had expected. Harvest started on the 1st of September, they managed to make some rich and flashy wines in this vintage. Bruno Colin has a strong market in France, 50% of the production are sold within France and 50% exported, US is their biggest market. Winemaking Whites spends 12 months in oak and around 3 months in stainless steel tank. Some battonage on the whites. Reds were 100% destemmed with 1 week of cold maceration. Tasting Notes Bourgogne Blanc 2018 A blend of their Domaine grapes and purchased…
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The Comprehensive Guide to Pierre Yves Colin Morey
Pierre Yves Colin Morey is one of the most highly regarded producer in Chassagne Montrachet, known for their reductive and leesy Chardonnay that can age for staggering amount of years. They also have a very low risk of premature oxidation (premox). Winemaking Pierre Yves aged all his wines in 350L barrel since 2007. According to Pierre Yves, ageing wines in 350L barrels gives the wines more energy and freshness and less creamy notes and oak spices. Recommendations PYCM wines are distinctive and stands out from most white Burgundies from their potent leesy, reductive notes. Their signature style is stamped across all their white wines, from the generic Bourgogne Blanc to…
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Chassagne Montrachet En Remilly & Gevrey Chambertin Clos Saint Jacques
Two months ago I hosted a horizontal blind tasting of Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru En Remilly and Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St Jacques, two of my favourite Premier Crus respectively in Chassagne Montrachet and Gevrey Chambertin. The En Remilly in Chassagne Montrachet is a tiny 1er Cru vineyard (1.6ha) located next to Chevalier Montrachet and below Saint Aubin En Remilly. Most producers are lesser known apart from PYCM, most participants are new to almost all the producers in this prime vineyard. The highlight for me was the Bruno Colin, it showed superior concentration and winemaking skills in this tiny vineyard. PYCM needs no introduction, textbook reductive leesy nose and…
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Domaine Lamy-Caillat, the rising star in Chassagne Montrachet
Visiting Sebastien Caillat from Domaine Lamy-Caillat was one of my highlights of my trip to Burgundy last month. This micro-Domaine based in Chassagne Montrachet started producing wines in 2011 and are already getting some serious praise from many Burgundy lovers. Not only is Sebastien one of the most prominent winemakers in Burgundy, he is also a civil engineer by training. Sebastien created a machine that adds a thin layer of wax (0.2-0.5mm thick) on top of the cork to reduce the rate of oxygenation. Sebastien humbly told us how excited he was when he received a call from Aubert de Villaine (co-owner and co-director of Domaine de la Romanee Conti)…
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Domaine Caroline Morey
Caroline Morey is one of the producers in Chassagne Montrachet to look out for today. Caroline is the wife of Pierre Yves Colin Morey, one of the most renowned winemakers in Chassagne Montrachet. The husband and wife duo shares a sleek-looking estate in Chassagne Montrachet that was built recently. For readers who have tasted PYCM wines would probably know that his style of wine is unique and is very consistent across his range, from Bourgogne to the rare Grand Cru Montrachets. Caroline Morey wines are produced the exact same way as Pierre Yves’, subsequently the standards are very high and quality is just as wonderful as PYCM wines. Caroline Morey…
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Domaine Ramonet
Domaine Ramonet is one of the finest producers in Burgundy, known for the Chardonnay from Chassagne Montrachet village to Montrachet Grand Cru. Domaine Ramonet has been producing consistently high quality Chardonnay in Chassagne Montrachet for 3 generations, it is difficult to talk about Chassagne Montrachet without mentioning Ramonet. Brief History Pierre Ramonet came to Burgundy in the late 1920s with nothing more than a knapsack, he started off buying grapes and vinifying them, then later buying his first vineyard in the 1930s. Domaine Ramonet gained a lot of attention very soon after bottling his first wines in his estate. Clive Cotes even wrote ‘Ramonet in white is the equivalent of…
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Domaine Vincent Dancer 2016
I haven’t been so excited about Chassagne Montrachet for a long time since discovering the brilliant quality of Domaine Bernard Moreau a few years ago. Vincent Dancer is one of my favourite producers in Burgundy. He grew up in Alsace and picked up photography as well as a love of wine from his father. Vincent came to Burgundy after completing his engineering degree and fell in love with the region. Vincent’s family had some vineyards rented out to relatives and Vincent gradually took in control of the vineyards and started making wines in Chassagne Montrachet. 1996 was Vincent Dancer’s first vintage. He started with 3.50 ha of vineyards in 1996…
