About this WINE
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is often seen as the king of white wine grapes and one of the most widely planted in the world It is suited to a wide variety of soils, though it excels in soils with a high limestone content as found in Champagne, Chablis, and the Côte D`Or.
Burgundy is Chardonnay's spiritual home and the best White Burgundies are dry, rich, honeyed wines with marvellous poise, elegance and balance. They are unquestionably the finest dry white wines in the world. Chardonnay plays a crucial role in the Champagne blend, providing structure and finesse, and is the sole grape in Blanc de Blancs.
It is quantitatively important in California and Australia, is widely planted in Chile and South Africa, and is the second most widely planted grape in New Zealand. In warm climates Chardonnay has a tendency to develop very high sugar levels during the final stages of ripening and this can occur at the expense of acidity. Late picking is a common problem and can result in blowsy and flabby wines that lack structure and definition.
Recently in the New World, we have seen a move towards more elegant, better- balanced and less oak-driven Chardonnays, and this is to be welcomed.
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Description
Le Mesnil, under the expert guidance of Gilles Marguet (possibly a distant cousin of our very own and equally gifted Benoit Marguet), goes from strength to strength. Long passed are the days when the word Co-operative invited evasion and disdain. Indeed, working with the top Co-ops in the region (Mailly and Le Mesnil) BBR have two of the most efficient and quality-driven partners imaginable.
2004 was a large crop and one which seems to have favoured the great Chardonnay villages of the south. And Le Mesnil-sur-Oger is, of course, the greatest village of them all. Aromas of zesty lemon sherbert broaden out to grapefruit, melon and a hint of honey. Chalky grip and floral elegance are both very fine quality indicators. Wonderful drinking now and worth keeping some back for a few years to 2017.
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer
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