Niellon Chevalier Montrachet Grand Cru 2019 (750ML)

96 JM / 95+ WA / 95 BH

Pale colour, with lightest of green reflections, very discreet in bouquet, but demonstrating an obvious sense of power too. Cool fresh white fruit appears, then at mid palate that there is a lemony lift, a very fine tensile thread throughout, graceful not explosive. Class in a glass! Tasted: September 2020.—Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy

The 2019 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru wafts from the glass with aromas of ripe yellow orchard fruit, clear honey, white flowers, toasted almonds and nutmeg. Full-bodied, satiny and layered, it's lively and concentrated, with a deep, enveloping core, racy acids and a long, precise finish.—William Kelley, The Wine Advocate

Note: from a .23 ha parcel of vines planted in '62 and '68
Producer note: For readers who may not have heard, the uber-talented yet ever-modest Michel Niellon has passed away. He was one of the very first vignerons that I visited when I first went to Burgundy some 40+ years ago and he was always gracious and welcoming. He will be sorely missed, not only by his family but also by his legion of fans. He is succeeded by his daughter Françoise, son-in-law Michel Coutoux, as well as two grandchildren, both of whom have joined the domaine. With respect to the 2019 vintage, Coutoux commented that "it was yet another hot, dry and precocious growing season. Yields were all over the place as some were normal and some as low as 25 hl/ha due to the one-two punch of frost damage and a poor flowering. This is to say that most of the villages vineyards came in between 50 and 57 hl/ha, but one gave us 45 hl/ha and then several more were in the 25 hl/ha range. At least yields were above what we realized in 2016 but not that much more. We picked from the 7th of September and the fruit was clean with potential alcohols of 12.5 to 13.6% and good pHs. Regarding the wines, I was frankly surprised by their energy and freshness, as well as by the excellent terroir transparency. They should age well but they're so dense that they should also be reasonably accessible young." Fans of the domaine should be aware that the label has been redesigned as of the 2019 vintage and that the Bâtard will not reappear until 2023 or 2024. The vines in Chevalier will be progressively replaced as well over the next few years. Lastly, Coutoux noted that the 2019s were bottled in August 2020

Tasting note: Here the wood influence is more apparent with notes of toast and menthol framing the aromas of the cool essence of pear, apple, fennel and jasmine tea. There is another dimension of size, weight and power as well as minerality to the big-bodied and dense flavors that display outstanding length on the balanced, clean and bone-dry finale. At least 5 to 7 years will be necessary as this is presently quite tightly wound.