2017 Burgundy: Meursault, St-Aubin and Chassagne-Montrachet

22 Jan 2019

St-Aubin comes of age

Plus stellar Meursault and Chassagne

Like 2012 and 2014, the 2017 vintage has made some extraordinary white wines. It really does seem to have been quite difficult to have stuffed it up as we didn't come across any duffers on our visit at all. From top to bottom, 2017 Burgundy Chardonnays and Aligotés were both flashy and sophisticated; accessible and ageable. They are certainly all desirable. Our Meursault friends, including Charles Ballot at Ballot-Millot and the Tessier family have all made wines that reflect their terroir but with an energy and precision that cuts the richness of the fruit.

In Chassagne-Montrachet the usual suspects of Bernard Moreau, Paul Pillot and Michel Niellon have all made fabulous wines; perhaps a little broader than the Meursaults but still blistering Chardonnays; ripe and fruity with star-burst acidity and moreish in the extreme. Each domaine is at the top of their respective games and fully exploited the potential of the vintage.

Finally in the great value village of St-Aubin old friends are joined by a new producer we know well and whose track record is well established. St-Aubin is the Cinderella of the Cote but the slipper has fit well for a few years now and well-deserved recognition has arrived. Marc Colin continues to make precise wines, tending to the lean side with brilliant focus. Siblings Damien and Caroline continue to progress the fortunes of their domaine and are able to concentrate even more on the viticulture now that it is a bit smaller. The reduction in volume is due to their brother Joseph setting up his own domaine. He's been a team member all his life and his 'split' has been entirely amicable. His style is a little richer - a little more like the other brother Pierre-Yves perhaps and we're delighted to welcome him into our equipe. Finally Hubert Lamy continues to produce wines that are equal parts genius and bonkers. We refer to them as the Cotat of St-Aubin. Who else would plant as many as 30,000 vines per hectare (as he does for the 'Haute Densité' cuvée, listed below as 'HD'), risking the wrath of the appellation authorities just to see if it makes better wine? It does, by the way! /CW

View the wines listed so far

Offered subject to remaining unsold; for shipment 2019/20

Vintage Description Cs Sz Bt Sz Cs Bts Cs ib Cs inc Bt inc
2017 drink or keep Ballot-Millot Meursault Genevrieres
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6x 75cl 1 0 £750.00 - - Buy