Chassagne-Montrachet, Les Caillerets, 2007
Apart from Morgeot, a name which can be given to any premier cru vineyard downslope from the little road which connects Chassagne and Santenay, and to all the land immediately up-slope from Fairendes, close to the village, to Clos Pitois on the Santenay border – a surface area of 52 hectares – and apart from the mainly red wine vineyard of Clos Saint-Jean, Les Caillerets is Chassagne's largest premier cru. It is also widely recognised as the best.
The climat, which includes the sub-divisions of En Cailleret, Chassagne, Vigne Derrière and Les Combards, covers 10.68 ha, and lies at an altitude of between 250 and 280 metres above sea level immediately to the south of the village itself. For some of the growers such as Guy Amiot and his son Thierry it is literally their back garden.
As you might expect from the name Caillerets the soil is predominantly stony and shallow. Up at the top of the slope there are outcrops of bare rock. He we find mainly a white marl. This will give the wine weight. Lower down there is more surface soil and it is calcareous, producing a wine of steely elegance. A blend of the two, everyone says, makes the best wine.
At best, and there is plenty of best, as the 16 or so owners include most of the 'first division' in the village, this is a Chassagne white – the transformation from Pinot to Chardonnay having taken place in the 1940s and 1950s, according to the late Albert Morey, who claimed to have been one of the pioneers in this respect – of real elegance, without the four-square character of a Morgeot, but with more weight and staying power than, say, an Embazées or a Romanée. Only (Grandes) Ruchottes can rival it. It requires a year or two more than most of the other first growths to come round, but then, as one might expect, it will hold up longer. The most successful vintages are not at their apogee until they are eight years old and still more than satisfactory at age 12 or even 15.
The 2007 vintage, which was the subject of the tasing below, was an early harvest following a precocious spring, but then a generally mediocre summer. But the weather wasn't all that bad. There was some sun and heat, if intermittent, and not too much rain, even if it was largely grey. Unlike in many vintages the Pinots matured in advance of the Chardonnays. Those in Chassagne who did not start on their whites until the second week of September (September 10th was a Monday) were able to benefit from, finally, a change to dry, stable weather, and an evaporating north wind. This concentrated the flavours without reducing the acidity – which, before malo, was very high. The result was white wines of more definition and greater weight and depth than their red counterparts. It is difficult to generalize – which is best? - between the 2005, 2006 and 2007 whites. In each vintage there are some lovely wines, and they are now just about ready.
The following tasting took place at the Restaurant-Hotel Montrachet in Puligny in January 2011. My grateful thanks to the growers for participating and to Thierry and his team for setting things up.
I asked the growers to note their three favorites among the 13 wines on offer. Just about every wine received at last one vote (and far as I could make out, no one voted for their own wine). Marginally ahead of the rest was the wine of Marc Colin and his family. This, as you will see below, was one of my least favourites. De Gustibus!
All wines, unless otherwise stated, are 'proprietaire' and produced by the lutte raisonnée.
Chassagne-Montrachet, Les Caillerets, 2007
Bachelet-Ramonet, Père et FilsNow-201855 ares. 18 to 20 percent new wood. Bottled after 16 months.
Restained nose at fIrst. Ripe, cool, fresh and minerally as it evolved. Medium-full body. A little oak. Good acidity. Not the greatest finesse, but good weight and energy. Good plus.
Blain-Gagnard Now-202056 ares. 15 percent new wood. Bottled after 11 months.
Fresh colour. Youthful nose. A touch of oak. Flowery, minerally, balanced and attractive. Medium-full body. Long, positive and stylish. This has depth and finesse. Fine plus.
Château de Chassagne: Maison Michel PicardNow-201811 ares. 50 percent new wood. Bottled after 12 months.
The colour is a little more evolved than most. On the nose this is full, rich, ample and quite oaky. A fullish quite powerful wine. Good grip nevertheless. Got better as it evolved but nevertheless a little clumsy. Another year in bottle won't do it any harm.
Coffinet-DuvernayNow-201725 ares. 50 percent new wood. Bottled after 17/18 months.
Flowery-herbal nose. Not a lot of oak. Some evolution. Perhaps a slight lack of energy. On the palate quite forward. Medium body. But very elegant. The fruit is most attractive. Harmonious and very good indeed, if not for the long term.
Marc Colin et FilsNow-201773 ares. One third new wood. Bottled after 15 months.
I find something slightly scented on the nose, which puts me off. Some botrytis? Less so on the attck, but it comes back on the finish. Medium to medium-full body. Decent fruit and grip. Little evidence of oak.
Fontaine-GagnardNow-202056 ares. 30 percent new wood. Bottled after 12 months.
Ripe, reasonably substantial, flowery, balanced nose. Good intensity and flair here. Fullish, ample and concentrated on the palate. Excellent grip. Lovely purity and harmony. Just the very slightest touch of oak. A yardstick example.
Jean-Nöel Gagnard Now-20191.06 ha. Culture biologique. 30 percent new wood. Bottled after 18 months.
Ample colour. A little evolution. But on the nose still a little reticent. Medium to medium-full body. Rich, concentrated, attractive and well-balanced. Good depth. Good class. Long and positive. Fine.
Maison Louis LatourNow-2018Merchant wine. Latour buys the equivalent of 14 barrels (i.e. more or less the equivalent of one hectare). 50 percent new wood. Bottled after 16 months.
Fresh, ripe nose with a touch of oak. Medium body. Balanced, attractive and à point. Good follow through, but essentially a delicate wine. It tails off a bit. Good plus.
Lamy-Pillot Now-2017Magnum. 55 ares, en fermage from Madame Fernand Chauve since 1997. No new wood in this vintage.
Light, flowery nose. No evidence of oak, but some evolution. Medium to medium-full body. The acidity in evidence. Reasonable length, but a touch clumsy. Better as it evolved but good plus at best.
René Lequin-ColinNow-202019 ares., en fermage. Biodynamic from 2010. 20 percent new wood. Bottled after 15 months.
Good substantial nose, with at first a touch of SO2, but this blew off. Fresh, plump, full bodied, rich and concentrated. Very good grip and lovely fruit. Real depth. Will still improve. Very fine.
Marc Morey Now-201620 ares. 25-30 percent new wood. Bottled after 15 months.
Soft, fruity nose. Plump and attractive if without any real depth. Fully developed. Medium body. Decently positive and harmonious. Very slightly oaky. Long enough but a bit neutral at the end. Good plus.
Vincent et Sophie MoreyNow-201935 ares. 45 percent new oak. Bottled after 11 months.
Broad-flavoured nose with a touch of oak and some evolution. Fullish, rich and quite powerful. This will still improve. Indeed it got better and better in the glass. Very good plus. One of the group favorites.
Paul Pillot Now-201849 ares. 20 percent new wood. Bottled after 16-18 months.
At first the nose was a bit neutral and four square, but it opened up and brightened up on aeration. Medium to medium-full body. Good grip. Only very slightly oaky. Good energy. Will improve. Very good plus. Another group favorite.
Three important domaines did not make their wines available for tasting: Guy Amiot et Fils (62 ares), Ramonet (35 ares in two parcels) and Jean Chartron of Puligny (30 ares). In addition Vincent Girardin owns just under one hectare which he bought from the Domaine Duperrier Adam in 2008.