'Full of tension with a persistent finish. Just a fantastic Chassagne'
Neal Martin
2019 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru, En Virondot, Domaine Marc Morey
£390 per 6 bottle case in bond
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Finding value in ready-drinking white Burgundy is an ongoing challenge. In recent years, the appetite for good quality white Burgundy has shown no signs of abating as almost anyone in the industry will tell you. Stocks sell quickly and are seemingly consumed earlier than might previously have been the case. I am uncertain if this relates to concerns over the potential longevity of white wines of various producers off the back of the issues of premature oxidation that were rife between the mid-1990s and mid-2000s, but which seem to have dissipated considerably in recent years.
We are always on the look out for parcels and will always take the opportunity to taste as a team before purchasing. I will confess that I am not very familiar with the wines of Domaine Marc Morey, though I know of several clients who have been consistently impressed by the quality, notably in recent years. When we opened a bottle of the Virondot 2019 a few weeks back, silence fell in the tasting room at our offices, as we all concluded that we had found a parcel of impressive white Burgundy that we could offer at more than 10% below the UK market price that our clients could enjoy drinking immediately. Affordable white Burgundy of high quality does exist!
Domaine Marc Morey own/ manage 8.5 hectares of vineyard including a tiny parcel of Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru. However, the mainstays of their range are a bevvy of well-situated Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru, including Les Caillerets, Les Chenevottes, Les Morgeots and of course, En Virondot. In addition, they have a holding in Puligny-Montrachet’s Les Pucelles, a notable Premier Cru as well as some St.Aubin and village level Chassagne in white and red.
En Virondot is an interesting vineyard, which lies close to Les Caillerets to the south-west of the village of Chassagne. It is a separate ‘island’, not adjoining any other Premier Cru. The vines are 30 years old and lie at an altitude a little more elevated than all other Chassagne vineyards. The name ‘Virondot’ indicates that the vines on this site were originally planted in curved rows – in old French, ‘un virandiot’.
Please see my note below, as well as Neal Martin’s from October 2020.
2019 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru, En Virondot, Domaine Marc Morey
£390 per 6 bottle case in bond
My note:
The 2019 En Virondot reveals complex aromas of citrus zest, ripe stone fruit and a stoney mineral quality. On the palate, it shows fine breadth and ample concentration of fruit. Despite 2019 delivering markedly ripe fruit, this impressive Chassagne reveals plenty of energy and precision. The balance between racy acidity and layered ripe stone and orchard fruits renders it truly compelling. With air, the smokey, mineral nuances assert with a dry, chalky texture undercut by mouthwatering acidity leading to a long, resonating finish. This lesser known Chassagne is a revelation and will surely offer the prospect of at least a decade’s cellarage if desired. (SL). Drink: 2024-2034.
92-94 points, Neal Martin, vinous.com
The 2019 Chassagne-Montrachet Virondot 1er Cru, one of the domaine’s strongest cuvées, was matured in 25% new oak. This is backward and a little broody at first, yet it is beautifully defined with its mineralité already tangible, those shallow soils on limestone can almost be smelled! The palate is very well balanced and packed full of energy, touches of sour lemon and orange rind, full of tension with a persistent finish. Just a fantastic Chassagne. Drink: 2023-2040
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