Winemaker Notes
Golden lemon in appearance. Aromas of citrus, wet stone and a tinge of resin exude from the glass. A rich and opulent palate with medium bodied flavors that caress the mouth and culminate in a clear, long, vivacious finish.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Michel Coutoux has three parcels inside the Clos, totalling 0.5ha and planted in 1992, 1996 and 2005. True to his winemaking style, which is especially well suited to 2017, this shows sea breeze and oyster-shell aromas, lots of wet stone minerality, scented oak and a core of citrus fruit.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos Saint-Jean is one of the highlights of the Niellon portfolio this year, unwinding in the glass with notes of pear, lemon, toast, nutmeg and subtle smoke. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, satiny and concentrated, with terrific depth, racy acids and a long, stony finish. 1992 was the first vintage for these vines, Niellon's holdings here having previously been planted entirely to Pinot Noir, and they are clearly hitting their stride today: it's the finest white Clos Saint-Jean I've tasted from this domaine.
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Wine Spectator
Intense aromas of lime blossom, white peach, oyster shell and smoke introduce this sleek, vibrant white. Creamy in texture and harmonious, this finishes with echoes of white flowers, lime and pastry. Drink now through 2024.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
A Côte de Beaune village of Burgundy most famous for its beautifully textured and powerful whites, Chassagne-Montrachet reaches farthest south in the Côte d’Or, save for the village of Santenay. It has three Grands Crus vineyards: Le Montrachet, Bâtard-Montrachet and Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet. Le Montrachet and Bâtard-Montrachet overlap with and are (confusingly) shared with the village of Puligny-Montrachet. But Chassagne-Montrachet bears sole ownership of the Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru.
The beauty doesn’t stop there as the village has a great many outstanding Premiers Crus wines and village level wines. Most famous Premiers Crus vineyards include Les Chenevottes, Clos de la Maltroie, En Cailleret and Les Ruchottes. Also, village level wines offer many lovely examples of what Chassagne-Montrachet has to offer, but at more approachable price points and perhaps less demand of waiting.
The best sites in Chassagne-Montrachet have complex soils of sedimentary rock and limestone (with less marl). Whites, which are by law composed of 100% Chardonnay (as in all classified white Burgundy from Côte d’Or), have steely power, bright and concentrated citrus, stone or tropical fruit characteristics and attractive textures ranging from plush to tactile, grippy and mineral-driven.
There is some fine Pinot Noir produced from the village. These wines tend to be high-toned and earthy, with wild herb aromas and suave tannins.