Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot AOC 2023

Wine Description for Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot AOC 2023 by Thomas Morey

Colour & Appearance

Medium straw yellow with a subtle green tint, which underscores the youthfulness of this Premier Cru. Clear and luminous in the glass.

Nose

A delicate, refined Chassagne that bears Thomas Morey’s signature: restrained, elegant oak handling with a subtle reductive note that lends the wine complexity. Alongside stone fruits – apple, pear, quince – there are exotic nuances, a hint of lanolin, white flowers and scrubland herbs. The aromatics feel perfectly balanced, never intrusive.

Palate

On first impression delicate and fragrant, indeed arguably the most elegant of the house’s Premier Crus. Yet do not underestimate the underlying power: the true intensity reveals itself only on the second sip. Weight and density unfold gradually, carried by a precise acidity structure. The wine displays that typical Burgundian paradox – ethereal and concentrated at once.

Finish

Long and persistent. In the finale one senses the mineral depth of the terroir, the density intensifies once more, yet never feels heavy. A wine that lingers in the aftertaste.

Terroir & Origin

From the Climat Morgeot, at 58.16 hectares one of the larger Premier Crus, mid-slope on the Santenay side. The grapes come from the parcels Fairendes, Brussonnes and Petit Clos – areas with white soils in a climat otherwise predisposed to Pinot Noir.

Grape Variety & Vinification

100% Chardonnay. Spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts in a combination of neutral barrel and tank. The malolactic fermentation proceeds naturally, the wine ages on the lees without bâtonnage. Only 20% new oak, sulphuring only in the final six months with minimal doses (never exceeding 35 mg/l in total). A masterclass in restraint.

Food Pairing Suggestions

Scallops in brown butter, turbot with champagne sauce, lobster poached, sweetbreads with morels, Comté or Beaufort d’Alpage.

Special Characteristics

A wine that demonstrates great Burgundies need not be loud. Thomas Morey’s minimalist interventionist approach gives pride of place to the terroir – an authentic, purist Premier Cru with considerable ageing potential.