2012 Chateau de Chassagne Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, White Burgundy, France.
A full bodied and beautifully detailed white Burgundy with loads of charm and classic character the Bader-Mimeur family’s Chateau de Chassagne Montrachet Chassagne-Montrachet is a gorgeous wine. The nose takes you back to experiences with Ramonet, Niellon and Colin-Deleger with white flowers, steely flint, clove and citrus leading to a fine palate of mineral driven apple, pear and white peach along with hazelnut, saline and chalky stones. This Chassagne has vibrant acidity and firm edginess and verve, but fills the mouth with expressive richness and density, this is certainly impressive stuff from an estate that has a long history, but with the baggage of family dramas and a split of the vineyards and Chateau, before the Bader-Mimeur take over and the rise in quality. And while there is more pleasure than outright intensity in this elegant and stylish Burgundy, this is not a modern Meursault or Puligny, but it does everything well and has sublime balance, especially for a white in this vintage and it is pure Chassagne-Montrachet through and through kissing you with grace and terroir. Lingering lemon, fig, leesy brioche and cream add to the performance, the Chateau de Chassagne is a wine I’ll be enjoying over the next 3 to 5 years, imported by Charles Neal, this is a name to look for and track in coming vintages.
($49 Est.) 92+ Points, grapelive
