2015 Chassagne-Montrachet, Domaine Michel Niellon

2015 Chassagne-Montrachet, Domaine Michel Niellon

Product: 20158023517
 
2015 Chassagne-Montrachet, Domaine Michel Niellon

Buying options

Available by the case In Bond. Pricing excludes duty and VAT, which must be paid separately before delivery. Storage charges apply.
You can place a bid for this wine on BBX

Description

Fine, bright, pale colour, with little lemon tints. There is an excellent core of pure white fruit running through the middle, some riper yellow notes behind, but good acidity and several layers of fruit. The wine has racy energy, restrained opulence, a huge weight of fruit for a village wine and a very long finish. Yes, please. Drink 2018-2021.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer

Michel Coutoux, son-in-law of the eponymous Michel Niellon, reports that volumes were down in 2015 compared to the previous year, because of the drought. He also has to take into account the very severe reductions in 2016. They began picking on 2nd September, the vines having had a usual drink thanks to a day of rain on 23rd August. One beneficial aspect of the 2015 vintage was a very even ripening process. These are large-scale wines in 2015 but full of joy.

wine at a glance

Delivery and quality guarantee

Critics reviews

Wine Advocate88/100
Niellon's 2015 Chassagne Montrachet Village Blanc offers up an attractive nose of yellow stone fruit and nutty new oak, as well as an exotic top note of petrol. On the palate, the wine is rich and full-bodied, with a deep core of fruit, lavish textural gloss and ripe acids. This is a characterful, flavorful rendition of the vintage, firmly stamped by the domaine style.
William Kelley - 27/04/2018 Read more

About this WINE

Michel Niellon

Michel Niellon

Michel Niellon operates out of two absurdly small cellars in Chassagne, producing quite simply sublime wines. He has only 6 hectares of vines, which include small holdings in Chevalier and Bâtard-Montrachet. Old vines and low yields give these wines their intensity, along with Niellon`s supreme winemaking skills.

Supply is severely rationed due to the small size of the domaine and Niellon`s huge following in the United States. But, for those lucky enough to secure some bottles, the rewards are immense.

Find out more
Chassagne-Montrachet

Chassagne-Montrachet

When it comes to the world's greatest white wines, the border between Chassagne and Puligny is the ‘X’ that marks the spot, the treasure at the end of the rainbow. Within a few hundred metres lie five wonderful Grands Crus, three of which are in Chassagne. They are led by the luscious, perfumed but variable Le Montrachet, to which Chassagne gained permission in 1879, along with Puligny, to hyphenate its name.

Both Montrachet and the rich, nutty, honeyed Bâtard-Montrachet are shared between Chassagne and Puligny. The fragrant, very fine and rare Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet however, lies entirely within Chassagne's borders. The Grands Crus have their own appellations, which is why Chassagne (or Puligny) does not appear on the label.

Although the most southerly of the three great names of the Côte de Beaune, Chassagne's style is often described as lying between that of Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault: less fine than Puligny, less rich than Meursault but containing elements of both. Chassagne is minerally yet succulent, and often floral with hints of hazelnuts.  Despite a bevy of very good Premiers Crus, it is not as good or famous, overall, as Meursault and Puligny, but it is usually extremely good value. Grands Crus should not be opened before eight years of age, and can last for 20 or more. Premiers Crus are at their best from five to 15 years of age; village wines from three to eight.

Perhaps surprisingly, given that the name ‘Montrachet’ is so synonymous with white wine, much of the soil in Chassagne is more suited to Pinot Noir than Chardonnay. Indeed it was only really in the second half of the 20th century that white wines began to dominate here. The reds have a firm tannic style that needs time to soften, with the best examples coming from the Premiers Crus Morgeot, Boudriotte and Clos-St Jean. At their best they combine the weight of the Côte de Nuits with the suppleness of the Côte de Beaune.

180 hectares of village Chassagne-Montrachet

159 hectares of Premier Cru vineyards. Several of the larger ones are subdivided and may be cited under various different names. The best include Caillerets, Ruchottes, Chaumées, La Boudriotte

11 hectares of Grand Cru vineyards: Le Montrachet (part), Bâtard-Montrachet (part) and Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet

Find out more
Chardonnay

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.

Find out more