Champagne Château de Bligny Blanc de Blancs ( )
Domaine des Hâtes Pierrick Laroche Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux
Product Information: Butteaux is one of the ‘climats’ of Premier cru Montmains which is regarded as one of the top Premier cru vineyard sites in Chablis lying beside or below Vaillons. Being one of the most southern locations for 1er cru in Chablis it is regarded as a cooler site with slightly later harvest. Here there is a very thin layer of clay which overlays the Kimmeridgian marls. Maker: Pierrick Laroche, the proud owner of Domaine des Hâtes, continues the legacy of his family's estate located in the picturesque village of Maligny, in the north-west sector of Chablis. The name of Pierrick's Domaine, "hâtes" refers to an old agricultural unit of measure, similar to the English rod. It evokes the long and slender fields used for sowing, where the longer rows made plowing easier with fewer turns. The term "hâtes" was often used to describe such fields. Established by his father in the 1970s, Pierrick's family vineyard holdings have gradually expanded over time, resulting in the current size of around 33 hectares. After obtaining a degree in oenology from Beaune, Pierrick embarked on a journey to gain valuable experience by traveling the world and undertaking various internships. Armed with knowledge and a deep passion for winemaking, he returned home to take over the family vineyards and start producing his own wines. Philosophy: Pierrick's cellars, ingeniously built into the side of a hill in the village, allow for much of the winemaking process to be conducted by gravity ensuring gentle handling of the grapes. The vinification takes place traditionally in stainless steel tanks, while some of the Premier and Grand Cru wines undergo a small portion of aging in used barrels, allowing for a full malolactic fermentation. One of his oldest vineyard plots, Les Châtillons, planted in the early 1970s, sits just behind the hill of the Grand Crus and showcases the meticulous use of barrel aging, which adds complexity and depth to the cuvée. In 2016, Pierrick expanded his range by starting a small négoce operation, sourcing must from friends who predominantly farm on the left side of the river. This addition includes premier crus such as Beauroy, Beauregard and Vau de Vey, as well as the grand cru of Bougros. In 2019, Pierrick inherited 8 acres of vines from his father-in-law in the southern sector of Chablis, around the village of Courgis. This inheritance includes Petit Chablis, 5.5 acres of Chablis and just over half an acre of the premier cru Les Butteaux. Pierrick Laroche's dedication to his craft is evident in every bottle of wine he produces. With a perfect blend of tradition and innovation, his wines showcase the unique terroir of Chablis, captivating enthusiasts with their finesse, complexity and distinct character. As Pierrick continues to nurture and expand his vineyards, he upholds the family legacy while leaving his own mark on the world of Chablis winemaking. Nose - Direct, Oyster Shells, Green Apples Developing scents of Granny Smith apples and flint with time in the glass. Palate - Silken, Quince, Concentrated The medium-bodied palate delivers fine acidity that cuts through the rich citrus fruit, along with touches of white peach and a tang of quince. Finish - Light Spice, Persistent, Saline Lightly spiced and quite persistent toward the saline finish. Excellent. Butteaux is one of the ‘climats’ of Premier cru Montmains which is regarded as one of the top Premier cru vineyard sites in Chablis lying beside or below Vaillons. Being one of the most southern locations for 1er cru in Chablis it is regarded as a cooler site with slightly later harvest. Here there is a very thin layer of clay which overlays the Kimmeridgian marls. Nearly 3 hectares extra. This is the first part of Butteaux as you leave Chablis next to Forets… Younger vines planted by father-in-law after some court-noué and it seems to be returning – 12-15 hl/ha in 2022. All barrel elevage again. A more subtle nose – quite direct though. Really a panoramic width of flavour here – silken, a little more apparent concentration/generosity – large-scale wine. Simply delicious but today I’d take the more linear l’Homme Mort. - Bill Nanson, Burgundy Report, January 2024.
Caroline Morey Beaune 1er Cru Greves Blanc
Product Information: This wine is sourced from vines planted in 1999 in the middle part of this 1er cru. It's fine delicate aromas show good intensity and depth on the palate. Very promising, give it time to unfurl. Les Grèves is among the largest of 44 Premier Cru climats in the Burgundian appellation Beaune. This 31.3-hectare site is planted mostly to Pinot Noir, making full-bodied reds as well as rarer spicy, nutty white wines made from Chardonnay. The Morey family name is one of the more infamous in Burgundy, with a long and expansive history. Caroline Morey is the daughter of the well-known Jean-Marc Morey, and started her own domaine after Jean-Marc's retirement in 2014. She is also married to Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey. Stylistically one major difference compared to PYCM is that she uses slightly less new oak, around 20-25% instead of 30-35%, not to mention half-a-dozen reds. Maker: Since Jean-Marc's retirement in 2014, Caroline has taken her share of some family vineyards from her father Jean-Marc and has created her own domaine based in Chassagne-Montrachet working out of brand new cellars built for Caroline and her husband Pierre-Yves. For Caroline’s first vintage in 2014 she had small holdings in Chassagne-Montrachet for both red and white together with small holdings in Santenay and Hautes Cotes de Beaune totaling just 2.4 hectares. With more vineyards added both from family and from acquisitions in the last few years the total is now 7 hectares for Caroline. Her family holdings were roughly half for red wines and half for white wines, so Caroline has always been very comfortable vinifying red wines and is clearly adept with whites as well. For her own estate her holdings are about 35% Pinot Noir and 65% Chardonnay. Philosophy: Caroline’s approach in the cellar shows a similar light touch as her husband using mostly 350 litre barrels with no more than 30% new and with no battonage for the white wines. For the red wines she adapts to each site and each vintage with no ‘recipe’ as such save to say that Caroline favours a little whole bunch when possible but never more than 50% which she considers too much. Now settled into the new cellars and with 5 vintages released it is clear that Caroline has moved straight into the premier tier of producers in the Cote de Beaune as she has rapidly established her very small and very fine estate. With just a few barrels produced of most wines these will be difficult to come by. Beginning with hand harvests and natural yeast ferment of whole bunches for all whites and 25% to 40% whole bunches for red wines. Ageing mostly in 350 litre barrels with no lees stirring of up 14 months for red wines and up to 18 months for top whites. Very gentle pumping over and handling for red wines designed to maximise freshness and finesse. Long untreated corks for all wines and bottles sealed with wax. Nose - Flinty Reduction, Orange Rind, Peach Reductive and finessed. Citrus lemon and lime, orange rind and light peach. Palate - Medium Weight, Chiseled, Intense Markedly intense and well-detailed medium weight flavors that also conclude in a bone-dry, youthfully austere and chiseled finish that is just a bit finer. Finish - Fine, Fresh Citrus, Peach Very nicely persistent, with some nuance of fresh citrus.
Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay
Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay displays an initial bouquet of slate and wet stone, with nuances of lightly roasted almonds. Subtle hints of citrus, shrouded by nectarine and nashi pear fruits. On the palate, a spiced multi-citrus compote with a very delicate acidity. Balanced and will develop exceptionally well with cellaring.
Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Saint Aubin 1er Cru Les Champlots Blanc
Product Information: From a south-west facing 0.65 ha vineyard planted in 1994 located just above La Chateniere. The wine has a deep lemon-yellow hue. Aromatically there's ripe green apple and pear with a hint of white flowers. On the palate it's energetic and bright, yet there is enough substance to give the wine a pleasant lingering impression. PCYM's The white wines are whole bunch pressed, fermented with natural yeasts, aged on lees for up to 18 months in mostly in 350 litre barrels with no lees stirring and no filtration. Burghound describes 2021 as "the kind of vintage that they absolutely love. Otherwise, expressed, it’s a burg geek’s vintage par excellence. The best wines are superbly fresh and transparent as the underlying terroir is wonderfully clear; indeed it’s at the core of each wine.... Outstanding transparency though is not all there is as the wines are strikingly refreshing and tension filled." Maker: Established as one of the young rising stars of Burgundy, Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey in 2005 left his family Domaine, Marc Colin, where he gained a solid reputation for his outstanding white wines. Pierre-Yves took control of a share of the family vineyards (Domaine Marc Colin) from 2006 vintage. His first vintages have been made from vineyards and growers that he works closely with buying the wine as must and aging the wines in barrels which he has supplied. If the resulting wines meet his standards the barrels of wine purchased are then matured in his own cold cellar below his house in Chassagne Montrachet. The Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey estate was born in 2001 from the association of Pierre-Yves Colin (son of Marc) and Caroline Morey (daughter of Jean-Marc). Today they operate 13 hectares in the villages of Saint-Aubin, Chassagne-Montrachet, Santenay, Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault. Their production consists of 92% Chardonnay, 5% Pinot Noir and 3% of Aligoté grape variety. Working about 2 hectares from the family heritage, the other plots have come from different acquisitions over the last fifteen years, as well as a few plots in Fermages. Philosophy: The Chassagne vineyard dates back to the years 280 AD. Historically, the vineyards of Chassagne were mainly planted with Pinot Noir; the Grands Crus and some other plots were white (Chardonnay grape). In 1935, the INAO was created and set itself the task of defining appellations in order to ensure their quality and enhance them. It was also at this time that the Grands Crus of the Montrachet hill were delimited. The vineyard is located between 220 and 340 meters altitude on clay-limestone soils. Most of the hillside vines are based on Jurassic lands (-201 million to -145 million years old). Descending towards the plain, the soils are more recent, dating from the Quaternary (2 million years ago) and come from the erosion of the upper layers. Since the 1990s, the village has seen its proportion of vines planted with Pinot noir decrease in favour of vines planted with Chardonnay. Today, the village is world famous and renowned for its white wines, particularly thanks to the Grands Crus of Montrachet. Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey white wines are whole bunch pressed and fermented with native yeast. Ageing up to 16 months for Bourgognes, St Aubins and more than 18 months for top end white wines with no lees stirring in a very cool cellar. The red wines get partial whole-bunch ferments (about 30%) with very gentle pumping over and gentle vinification designed to maximise freshness and finesse. Long untreated corks for most wines and bottles sealed with wax. The resulting wines are built to age classically up to 10 years or more. Nose - Crush Rock, Flint, Ethereal A much more open and airy bouquet with crushed rock and struck flint unfurling in the glass. Palate - Polished, Sleek, Vibrant The mouthfeel of the vibrant and delicious medium-bodied flavours is sleek, even polished, while delivering excellent length on the rich, dry and balanced finale. Finish - Satin-like, Saline, Impactful Satiny and incisive, it's impressively complete, with a penetrating, saline finish
Chacra Chardonnay
Hartford Court Stone Côte Vineyard Chardonnay
Vasse Felix Heytesbury Chardonnay
As Australian Chardonnay continues its re-emergence, Vasse Felix Heytesbury is firmly leading the charge with its complex, modern style that has seen the winemaking team take home a cabinet full of trophies and gold medals in recent years. 100% wild yeast fermented and matured in French oak for only nine months, there is a power and persistence that is unmistakable. A flavour cavalcade of matchstick, citrus, white peach and grapefruit alongside a subtle toasty, nutty aspect from the sublime oak regime. The finish of this remarkable example will leave you in no doubt to this wines pedigree and ageability. Sheer classic.