Review: Bernard 1er Cru Chass-Montrachet 2006
- Dec 31, 2014
- 2 min read
The low-down: Most consider Chassagne-Montrachet as one of the top three communes for white wine in Burgundy known for producing complex and long-lived whites, along with Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault. Like most communes in Burgundy, in the late 19th century the name of its most famous chateau (Montrachet) was appended to the name of the village (previously known as Chassagne-le-Haut).
The commune has 350 ha under vine and 51 premier cru vineyards - certainly one of the larger in Burgundy. The commune shares two grand cru vineyards (Montrachet and Batard-Montrachet) with Puligny Montrachet - but purists believe these vineyards reflect the terroir of Puligny more than Chassagne. Chassagne whites tend to be softer, less dense and less deep but still with a mineral edge - think floral and citrus notes. Historically, pinot noir was the predominant variety grown in the commune (80%), however with the rising popularity of white Chassagne, chardonnay now makes up 50% of the vines.
This is a premier cru blend produced by Marie Bernard of the famous Morey family with deep roots (five generations) in the Chassagne-Montrachet village. She holds 10 ha of premier cru land.
For Dubai residents, Le Clos offers 2009-2011 vintages of Chassagne-Montrachet from some top class producers: Boillot (Premier Cru), Blain Gagnard (Premier Cru) and Drouhin.
Saint Aubin, a tiny village behind Chassagne, offers a great value alternative to Chassagne Montrachet.
The take: A very, very light golden yellow - the lovely color aged white wines become. A strong nose of burnt toast, game, cheddar cheese and perfume. You can smell the structure here - the wine smells more like a red than a white wine! On the attack, very smooth, good acidity. The texture is quite oily. Well balanced with a meaty finish. A little bitter at first, with honey emerging afterwards.
In closing: Strong, structured, meaty.
Rating: 8.5 out of 10.
Fact corner:
Country: France
Region: Chassagne-Montrachet (AOC) Premier Cru
Producer: Marie Bernard
Vintage: 2006
Grape: Chardonnay
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Serving temperature: n/a
Price range: Premium
Comments