This Week's Must-Try Wines from Vinous
Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard
Les Caillerets Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Chardonnay 2017
The 2017 Chassagne-Montrachet Caillerets 1er Cru has a well-defined, sunny bouquet of orange pith and nectarine; an underlying mineralité comes through with aeration. The palate is taut, fresh and quite saline in the mouth, with a touch of sour lemon on a finish of moderate length. This feels quite backward but its energy suggests a long future. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting in Savigny-lès-Beaune. (Neal Martin, Vinous, August 2021)
— 3 years ago
Domaine Ballot-Millot & Fils
Les Genevrières Meursault 1er Cru Chardonnay 2017
The 2017 Meursault Les Genevrières 1er Cru is taut and crisp on the nose, nicely focused and poised, with well integrated oak; the aromatics feel harmonious and complex. The palate is well balanced with a saline entry, and very citric in style. Plenty of ginger and lemongrass furnish the finish with admirable length. Excellent and very elegant. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting in Savigny-lès-Beaune. (Neal Martin, Vinous, August 2021)
— 3 years ago
Domaine Antoine Jobard
Les Genevrières Meursault 1er Cru Chardonnay 2017
The 2017 Meursault Les Genevrières 1er Cru is neutral on the nose, sultry but not sullen, maintaining delineation and focus, with crushed stone and light smoky aromas developing over time; it does become a little reduced. The palate is well balanced with a salty, basalt-tinged entry. There is plenty of energy and superb acidity, leading to a vibrant, spicy, persistent finish. This fans out gloriously. Outstanding. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting in Savigny-lès-Beaune. (Neal Martin, Vinous, August 2021)
— 3 years ago
Domaine Long-Depaquit (Albert Bichot)
Les Vaudésirs Chablis Grand Cru Chardonnay 2017
Slightly darker in color than its peers, the 2017 Chablis Les Vaudésir Grand Cru has an expressive bouquet with a fair smack of oak that partly clouds the terroir and renders this a little generic. Returning after 10 minutes, there are some sulfur issues here. The palate is well-balanced, however, with enticing nectarine and clementine notes, good depth and a supple, almost caressing finish. Very tempting, but it needs to grow into something more interesting, more Grand Cru-ish. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting in Savigny-lès-Beaune. (Neal Martin, Vinous, August 2021)
— 3 years ago
Domaine de Montille
Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru Chardonnay 2017
The 2017 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru felt pinched and a little reduced on the nose. However, the palate is built around a fine bead of acidity and good energy. It feels spiky toward the finish and needs more depth and rondeur. Too slight for a Corton-Charlemagne? At least there is freshness, and it does improve in the glass, but it falls below my expectations from barrel. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting in Savigny-lès-Beaune. (Neal Martin, Vinous, August 2021)
— 3 years ago
Domaine Ballot-Millot & Fils
Charmes Meursault 1er Cru Chardonnay 2017
The 2017 Meursault Les Charmes 1er Cru has a serious, taut, mineral-driven bouquet, one of the most understated within the lineup of Charmes. The palate is taut and linear like the nose, a doppelgänger for a Puligny-Montrachet, brimming with tension and energy but with just a little shrillness on the finish that will have to be addressed with bottle maturation. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting in Savigny-lès-Beaune. (Neal Martin, Vinous, August 2021)
— 3 years ago
Domaine Jean Collet & Fils
Valmur Chablis Grand Cru Chardonnay 2017
The 2017 Chablis Valmur Grand Cru has an attractive, well-defined bouquet featuring subtle undergrowth notes, flint and shucked oyster shells, although it certainly needs some time. The palate is very smooth and harmonious, delivering beautifully judged acidity, hints of orange pith and white peach and fine tension through to the finish. Excellent. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting in Savigny-lès-Beaune. (Neal Martin, Vinous, August 2021)
— 3 years ago
Domaine Génot-Boulanger
Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru Chardonnay 2017
The 2017 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru is herbaceous and not quite as delineated on the nose as its peers. The palate has a spicy entry and fine acidity, but it feels a bit mean considering the vineyard, and it misses a little weight and fruit concentration on the finish. Not bad, but could have been better. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting in Savigny-lès-Beaune. (Neal Martin, Vinous, August 2021)
— 3 years ago
Domaine Bernard Moreau & Fils
La Maltroie Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Chardonnay 2017
The 2017 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru has quite an austere bouquet, backward and sultry at first, then hints of lemon zest, Conference pear and light earthy aromas emerging with time. The fresh, saline palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity. Initially, it misses a little finesse and precision toward the lemongrass-tinged finish, but returning after 10 minutes, I find a degree of elegance and harmony that wins me over. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting in Savigny-lès-Beaune. (Neal Martin, Vinous, August 2021)
— 3 years ago
Delectable Wine
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The 2017 Chablis Les Preuses Grand Cru has a wonderful, focused nose: lean, mineral-driven, very flinty and very Chablis. The palate is taut and fresh, with sharp acidity, and very citric and powerful, with immense weight and penetration toward the finish. Very persistent, very sophisticated; this is what great Chablis is all about. But the bottom line is that it is very uncompromising. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting in Savigny-lès-Beaune. (Neal Martin, Vinous, August 2021)
— 3 years ago