2015 Bourgogne Chardonnay, Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey

Maison Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey

Domaine Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey is based in the wine appellation of Chassagne-Montrachet in Burgundy. The eldest son of Marc Colin, Pierre-Yves worked at the family domaine from 1994 to 2005. Meanwhile, with his wife Caroline (née Morey) he had established a négociant business in 2001 under the name Colin-Morey. After the 2005 harvest he left the family domaine, taking with him his six-hectare share of the vineyards, which now form part of the Colin-Morey label.

This does not differentiate between wines from its own vineyards and those from purchased grapes. Pierre-Yves’s techniques have evolved since leaving the family domaine, in part in response to the problem of premature oxidation. There is no more battonage and the cellar is no longer heated to encourage the malolactic fermentation.

The wines are kept in barrel longer (the barrels are from François Frères and Chassin, with about one third new wood, including 350-litre casks), the St-Aubins being bottled before the next harvest but the remainder being kept on lees for up to 18 months. The bottles are sealed with wax on top of corks which have not been treated with peroxide.

His own vineyards are mostly to be found in the wine appellation of St-Aubin, including premiers crus Chatèniere, Champlots and Remilly, and Chassagne-Montrachet: village Ancegnières and premiers crus Chenevottes and Caillerets.

However the full range of wines from purchased grapes covers wines from Puligny-Montrachet, Meursault and the grand crus as well, including very fine Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet and weightier Bâtard-Montrachet.

Jasper Morris MW,  Inside Burgundy - The Book

Bourgogne Blanc

Bourgogne Blanc is the appellation used to refer to generic white wines from Burgundy, a wide term which allows 384 separate villages to produce a white wine with the label ‘Bourgogne.’ As a result of this variety, Bourgogne Blanc is very hard to characterise with a single notable style, however the wines are usually dominated by the presence of Chardonnay, which is just about the only common factor between them. That being said, Chardonnay itself varies based on the environmental factors, so every bottle of Bourgogne Blanc will vary in some way from the next! Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris are also permitted for use in Bourgogne Blanc under the regulations of the appellation.

As Bourgogne Blanc is very much an entry-level white wine for most regions in Burgundy, prices are usually very reasonable, and due to the terroir and climate of Burgundy, Bourgogne Blanc wines tend to have a strong acidity to them, combined with a vibrant and often fruity palate when compared with other whites from the New World, say, allowing fantastic matchmaking with many different kinds of food.

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.