Red Chassagne-Montrachet

What are your opinions on and experiences with Red CM?

I recently bought some bottles of different producers*, and keen to learn more about it.
(Amiot, Pillot, Borgeot, Domaine Larue, Bachey-Legros).

Do you have any favorite producers?
What are your takes on drinkability and ageing?
Is there value in the 1er Cru’s?
Pairing with food?

There’s many posts on this, please do a search.

My favorite producer is ramonet, but also like Moreau and to a lesser degree jm Pillot.

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Here’s a long thread about it recently, I think you’ll get a lot of ideas in there.

https://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=3090201#p3090201

Thank you!

Winecellarage has 17 Clos de la Boudriotte on prearrival for 89/pop for 6; if it’s your first purchase you can get 10% off which drops to it about 80/btl.

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Thank you! I’m based in Europe, however.
It did sound intriguing, though.

Should be even easier to source then.

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Hmm…Michael - very interesting of your recently purchases from so many producers ( Amiot, Pillot-please check out the Pillot family in Page 464 of Inside Burgundy by Jasper Morris- Borgeiot. Larue and Bachey-Legors). Is it time for you to find…who would be your preferred producer or producers ?

Here is what I suggest - if you would really like to get into Burgundy.

Line up at least 2 to 3 bottles from from your recent purchases. They need to be from the same AC Level ( for example : village Appellation or 1er cru Appellation ) and also they must be from the same vintage year : for example from 2018 or 2017.

Simply single-blinded them…and find out what is your preferred one — on the first evening; then…keep : half bottle of each of the 2 or 3 wines.

Repeat…the same exercise with the half bottles on the 2nd Evening and see…if the result would be the same as the first Evening ??

AFTER…all these experiments - then read some books and find out…how each producers elevage their wine - for example : 20% new oak; 30% stem-inclusion…etc…etc !!

If the above…are …way. way too much for you. Stop…please. My honest suggestion to you is : forget about taking the road to Burgundy [pillow-fight.gif] .

My advice is to try wines people recommend here and if you like them you’ll know your palate aligns with the poster, then try wines they recommend.

On her IDTT interview Becky W said that she wishes CM was planted with more red.

I believe I’ve heard Jasper Morris echo that same thought.

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Hers is what Jasper Morris said :

Here is the conundrum most of soil in Chassagne-Montrachet is suited to red wine rather than white; but the village is better known for its white wines and they fetch far better prices.*

He continue to state that : The white wines made on the right soil are very good indeed, red wins made on suitable soil for red are only quite good. The vineyard classification does not take into account and perhaps should do so.

Those are his exact words.

Here is my small observation: some producers around Corton hill are gradually switching more their g-cru land to grow : chardonnay. It is a well known fact that white wines yield could be more higher than red wines yield and hence more bottles of white wine from the same patch of land - without comprising the quality of the wines whether is white or red. Needless to say a white C.C could also fetch far better price than a red Corton.

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That is a great idea. I will probably try that at some point.

Thank you.

The Jasper quote is more or less her sentiment in the IDTT interview as well.
Looking at my notes (started taking in the past 3-4 years) I had a 2016 Caroline Morey CM Rouge end of 2019, liked the wine (90 to me) and noted: Medium ruby jello red. Opening was a little barnyard-y but eventually moved into more of a layer of sweat over nose. Sour cherry, snapped twig, sea salt, raspberry aromas. Medium+ acidity, red cherry, strawberry, baking spice, black pepper, pomegranate, earl grey tea.
This thread will probably make me looking into picking up some more from Caroline and I feel PYCM would obviously do some too. I think Thomas Morey does one too and I really like his whites. Looking at my notes I also liked the Thomas Morey Santenay & Beaune Greves reds.

**That is a great idea. I will probably try that at some point.

Thanks - in advance for trying.

Actually the best idea is : to start with the generic red Bourgnoge from 3 to 4 different producers - as suggested by Michael C. ( and easily available ) for the same exercise. CM village maybe quite pricey, special if you do not prefer it.

Your knowledge in wine is impressive. I have no information to take a guess, why you started to get into Burgundy in December last year. If you are a fun of cabernet based red from warm countries - trying some producers bourgnoge at age 3 or 4, you may wonder : who takes the wine out of your bottle of (bougnoge) wine [wow.gif] .

People have been saying this for a couple decades (more like 3 or 4 decades), starting when more and more growers tore out their Pinot vines (or didn’t replace them when they died) and planted Chardonnay. Coates used to talk about this.

My recollection is: The major conversion was in the 80s and early 90s, but it was a dynamic process varying from grower to grower. It also happened a bit in Meursault too (and Blagny which is entitled to be labeled Meursault if Chardonnay) and to an even lesser extent in Puligny, where there was less Pinot to begin with.

The Chassagne growers we talk about are sort of holdouts to an extent from that process, the ones with old vines at least. Ramonet, the Pillot and Morey family branches, etc.

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