The Bourgogne Chardonnay is made from grapes harvested from vines planted in 2000 in Santenay. The vines are on the lower reaches of the slope. The soil is relatively calcareous for a regional appellation and it favours mineral notes.

The colour is a light gold with a hint of green. The aroma is open and expressive and most attractive showing melon, stone fruits, spices and a suggestion of white flowers – it is rich and ripe.

The palate is immediately generous and rich in stone fruit flavours of peach and pear. It also shows some restrained lemon/citrus elements and a very fine acid balance. The wine has excellent acidity and is beautifully balanced. The fruit is clean and generous with gentle tannins and integrated oak. In keeping with the vintage this excellent example of Bourgogne Blanc will evolve over the short term into a generous mouth-filling wine that is the perfect match with a range of seafood dishes or white meats.

This punches well above its weight and is a wine to be enjoyed in the short to medium term.

2016 Chassagne-Montrachet

 Some of the fruit for this wine comes from vines in the Premier Cru lieu-dit “Les Morgeot”. The very best barrels make up the Premier Cru wine and the remainder are used in the village wine.

In contrast to the 2016 Bourgogne Blanc this wine is a little reticent and backward – this is never a problem with young White Burgundy. The pale yellow colour is very clear to the rim of the glass.

There are lemon sorbet notes on the nose with a little stone fruit and a ‘whiff’ of smoke. In the background the Chassagne character comes through as a slightly rustic, stone-fruit/apple character.

The front palate shows more fine fruit with a generous fruit-rich middle palate highlighted by melon and peach with a fine, long finish. The acid balance is spot-on! It has significant length and a fine, gently drying finish.

This wine is elegant and satisfying. It needs a little time in the bottle and it will improve significantly over the medium term of 5 to 8 years.

2016 Puligny-Montrachet

Similar colour to the Chassagne-Montrachet. Nose displayed stronger minerality, with some citrus nuances. The palate was leaner than the Chassagne-Montrachet, as well as being precise and mineral. Fine concentration, Clean fruit and quite a long finish. The impression was that this would fill out after a year or two.

2016 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru "Morgeot" "Les Petit Clos"

  The “Morgeot” climat is one of the best known and highly regarded Premier Cru’s in Chassagne-Montrachet. This plot is located in the climat “Les Petits Clos” in the heart of the appellation.

The rich, red, clay-limestone soils give the wine roundness balanced by a mineral structure. These vines were planted in 1950. The wine is aged on lees for 14 months and shows length and suppleness in its youth but has the structure to age for many years.

This always has the most exotic and enduring aromatics and the terroir is always evident. It has a pale colour, whilst the aroma shows a funky, rich, unctuous character of burnt match, lemons, spices and underlying minerality.

The flavours are highlighted by a lush ripe fruit flavour that is bound inside a taut, lacey structure that keeps the focus on the middle palate. The satin texture is one of the highlights of the wine and the acid structure ensures a lasting, fine and superbly balanced finish.

This wine is built to last for 10 years or beyond but can be consumed immediately for its pure pleasure!

Red Wines

2016 Maranges

 
The Maranges appellation was established in 1989 and is immediately next to Santenay. Maranges produces deeply coloured wines with aromas of red fruits.

This wine shows exceptional depth of colour for a little-known appellation. The aroma is a combination of fresh strawberry with cherry overtones, a little plum, earth and mushroom.

There are lovely fresh berry fruit flavours at the beginning of the palate and this is supported by overt spices, a hint of ‘funk’. truffle and sous bois. The flavours persist for a long period of time and the finish is very racy and fine.

For such a modest provenance this is a seriously good wine for immediate drinking or medium term cellaring. Great value for money.

2016 Bachey-Legros Santenay “Clos des Hâtes”

Village lieu dit. This vineyard was planted in 1931. It is on quite deep limestone and clay soil. Delightful crimson colour with a darker overtone, quite dense. Scented, spicy nose, which was very enjoyable. Cherries leaping out of the glass. Velvety mouthfeel, voluminous flavour with sweet red cherry fruit, underpinned by a firm tannic structure which was very dry. A long after-taste. Over-delivers, Value for money-wise.

2016 Santenay “La Comme” 1er Cru

“La Comme” adjoins the border with Chassagne-Montrachet in Bas-Santenay. The vineyard was planted in 1955. This wine was a little less dense in colour than the Maranges and “Clos des Hâtes”, crimson in hue. The nose was more refined and elegant in contrast with the two previous wines in the line-up. It was scented, spicy and had high glycerol (legs). It offered ripe fruit, with a sound supportive acid and tannic structure. Complex spicy and full. Very good length with an astringent finish.

2016 Santenay 1er Cru “Clos Rousseau” “Les Fourneaux”

 
“Les Fourneaux” is part of the “Clos Rousseau” Premier Cru appellation in Santenay. Planted in 1914, these vines are some of the oldest in the Côte de Beaune. The Legros family treat these vines with great respect and regard them as their “Grand Cru”.

This has a very dense, brooding red the aroma that is a powerful amalgam of ripe dark cherries, dense fungal characters and an alluring spice/funk/sous bois that seems to change and develop from one small to the next.

The palate is a massive concentration of ripe berry fruits with distinctive licorice and aniseed overtones plus earth and truffle. The wine sits in the mouth and releases sensation after sensation of ripeness, subtlety and complexity.

The finish is long and persistent. A wine to be savoured and enjoyed over the years!

2014 Bourgogne Chardonnay

The Bourgogne Chardonnay is made from grapes harvested from vines planted in 2000 in Santenay. The vines are on the lower reaches of the slope. The soil is relatively calcareous for a regional appellation and it favours mineral notes. Some ageing in barrels contributes to the roundness of the wine and helps develop complexity. This is a wine of great freshness with aromas of flowers and fresh fruits.

With a youthful light yellow hue, there is a touch of green on the rim. The bouquet has ripe citrus fruits, pears and peach with a suggestion of grapefruit and apricot. In the background there is a slight matchstick aroma as well as savoury, spicy notes. There are layers of spice and peach which are made more complex by a most appealing mouth feel. There is also an underlying sense of minerals that give wine the ‘feel’ of Chassagne-Montrachet. This is a most complex wine for such a humble appellation and is easily of Village quality. Delicious!

2014 Meursault “Les Grand Charrons”

Meursault is one of the most famous appellations for producing quintessential wines made from Chardonnay. A number of the village climats are well known and approach the Premier Crus in quality. “Les Grand Charrons” is one such climat . Bachey-Legros has a long lease on this plot and Sam and Léniac tend the vines with great care. The wine has great concentration and backbone with a soft mouth feel and great length and depth. A wine to be

savored.

The aroma has hues of lemon and honey showing a classic Meursalt fragrance. On the palate there is refreshing fruit and notes of green apple. The palate is firm with excellent length and great structure. This is a classy climat and it is delicious Meursault with a well balanced finish and the structure to maintain its fine fruit, It can be enjoyed now but will cellar well for a number of years.

2014 Chassagne-Montrachet

The grapes for this village Chassagne-Montrachet are drawn from the Premier Cru "Morgeot" appellation.

The aroma shows summer fruits - apricot, peach - but also a slight minerality. On the palate, it shows some citrus elements but has excellent length and well balanced acidity.

This is an excellent example of this appellation.

2014 Puligny-Montrachet

The aroma shows summer fruits with a tine of apple. On the palate, it shows some citrus elements with excellent length, well balanced acidity and a refreshing finish.

This is a very good representation of a village Puligny-Montrachet.

2014 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru “Morgeot”

The “Morgeot” appellation is one of the best known and highly regarded Premier Cru’s in Chassagne-Montrachet. This plot is located in the lieu-dit “Les Petits Clos” in the heart of the appellation.

The rich, red, clay-limestone soils give the wine roundness balanced by a mineral structure. These vines were planted in 1950. The wine is aged on lees for 14 months and shows length and suppleness in its youth but has the structure to age for many years.

This wine has an excellent light yellow colour and a hint of green on the rim. On the palate, there are sweet summer fruits evident such as nectarine and peach. It is long and clean on the palate with well balanced acidity. This is a wine with lots of life, a most enjoyable "drink now" proposition" but it will served by cellaring for some years. 

This wine is undoubtedly of the highest quality from this outstanding appellation.