Producer | Domaine Michel Niellon |
Country | France |
Region | Burgundy |
Subregion | Chassagne Montrachet |
Varietal | Chardonnay |
Vintage | 2020 |
Sku | 8974442433 |
Size | 750ml |
Michel Niellon (1934-2020), who began working with his father Marcel in 1957, has crafted more than 50 vintages of extraordinary wines. From the original 4-hectare estate in Chassagne-Montrachet, Michel has built a notable reputation, creating rich, ripe premiers and grands crus white Burgundies as well as a small amount of excellent premier cru red. Niellon has increased the estate’s production by buying new vineyards and building a larger winery. Today, two generations of the Niellon family work at the domaine. Michel Niellon's son-in-law, Michel Coutoux, who joined him in 1991. His grandson, Matthieu Bresson, also joined the winery, after graduating from La Lycée Viticole in Beaune. Each generation contributes their unique knowledge and expertise to create the finest wines. Sourced from 1.6 acres.
There is a whiff of the exotic present on the slightly honeyed aromas of white peach, freshly sliced citrus and a floral top note. The succulent, even seductively textured medium-bodied flavors possess both good volume and density that contrasts somewhat with the bone-dry, moderately austere and borderline tannic finale. The Clos de la Maltroie is usually approachable young, but this sneaky long effort is going to require at least some patience. In a word, lovely. *Outstanding*. 6/2022.
Aromas of pear, beeswax, toasted nuts, white flowers and youthful reduction introduce the 2020 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Maltroie, a medium to full-bodied, lively and tightly wound young wine built around bright acids and chalky extract. While Michel Coutoux and his daughter Marlène bemoan the impact of climatic extremes on their vineyards—much of the replantings of the 1980s and 1990s, which ought to be entering their prime, will have to be replaced in the near future due to the degeneration of the 161-49 rootstock—the wines of Domaine Michel Niellon themselves remain remarkably unmarked by recent dry, warm vintages. The 2020s are no exception: lively, beautifully balanced and even comparatively tightly wound after their bottling before harvest 2021, they continue a strong recent run at this estate. As ever, bottling is under natural cork. William Kelley, 1/2022.
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