DOMAINE MICHEL NIELLON CHASSAGNE-MONTRACHET BLANC 2022

Michel Niellon's masterful Chassagne-Montrachet showcases the exceptional terroir of this hallowed Burgundian village, where limestone-rich soils and perfect exposure create ideal conditions for producing world-class Chardonnay. Despite being lauded by Robert Parker as among the five best white winemakers globally, the quiet, unassuming septuagenarian remains remarkably self-effacing while crafting wines of extraordinary quality from his small domaine. This village-level bottling displays a brilliant golden yellow hue with enticing aromas of ripe pear and citrus complemented by subtle cool menthol notes that hint at the wine's remarkable complexity. The palate delivers concentrated flavors of ripe apples and vibrant citrus framed by Niellon's signature rich, concentrated style that manages to be immediately appealing while possessing remarkable aging potential—a testament to the winemaker's decades of expertise in expressing his corner of the Côte de Beaune.

Burghound (88): Classic Chassagne aromas include those of petrol, rosemary soil and white peach along with discreet citrus nuances. The attractively textured and vibrant, if not super-dense, medium weight flavors display good length on the lemon-tinged finale. This could use better depth so a few years of keeping are in order. 

Vintage Notes: Michel Niellon's son-in-law, Michel Coutoux, who has been at the domaine since 1990, is easing out of the day-to-day operations. He is doing so in favor of his children, one of whom, Lucie, has assumed responsibility for the vinification of the reds. She also presented the whites and frankly noted that 2022 "started with yet another April frost scare, which after what we went through in 2016 and again in 2021, isn't a trivial concern. Thereafter though conditions were largely clement and while there was a bit of mildew pressure, it didn't last due to the very dry weather. We picked from the 24th to the 30th of August and bought in super-clean fruit with yields of between 45 to 50 hl/ha, which is more than satisfactory. Potential alcohols were also quite good, but importantly not high, at between 13 to 13.5% with reasonable acidities. The fermentations presented no particular worries and as usual, we did no lees stirring. As to the style, my father calls it classic and while I don't begin to have his experience, I like the quality a great deal." Fans of the domaine will be thrilled to hear that, after several years of no production due to replanting the vineyard, that the famous Bâtard will finally reappear as of the 2023 vintage. The Bâtard coming back online will allow for the vines in Chevalier to be progressively replaced as well over the next few years. In another development, the domaine is now employing the Diam brand composite cork for all of the whites except for the Chevalier and, presumably, the Bâtard though that was not specified. I would add that the Chaumées - Clos de la Truffière is especially good and worth your interest. Lastly, Coutoux noted that the 2022s were bottled in August 2023.