Chassagne-Montrachet Vielles Vignes Rouge AOC 2020

Few people know that about 40 % of the vineyards of Chassagne-Montrachet are planted with Pinot Noir. Pinot Noir is behind the white wines because they are so exceptional and red wine is "just very good". But this has a special advantage You get here red wine in excellent quality at a remarkably good price. And if you invest in the classic Le Vin de Bourgogne by Camille Rodier, who always tended to prefer the Côte de Nuits when it came to red wine, then it says that in his opinion the red Chassagne-Montrachets from Clos St. Jean and Morgeot can compete with many crus from the Côte de Nuits. The Chassagne-Montrachet vieilles vignes comes from the three plots of Bottes, Clos Bernot and Dessus des Murs near the village, planted in 1933, 1960 and 1969 respectively. The newer plot has predominantly brown loamy soils, the others are more sandy as well as permeable and are located on a ridge. The yield from these old vines is generally low, rarely reaching 45 hl per hectare. Fermentation of the largely destemmed grapes takes place with indigenous yeasts in a combination of neutral barrel and tank. Malolactic fermentation takes place naturally. The new wood content is around 20 %. Sulphur is only added in the last six months in the barrel, and several times with minimal doses, so that the wine never exceeds 35 mg/l in total.

dense purple

Thomas Moreys Chassagne-Montrachet Vieilles Vignes 2020 appears dense and tightly woven in the blend of ripe but still crisp dark berry fruit, from cherries, red plums and a cool herbaceousness. There are also notes of crushed stone and a slightly damp undergrowth.

On the palate the Chassagne-Montrachet vieilles vignes rounder and somewhat softer than expected. The mainly dark fruit seems ripe and warm, but is infused with a lively acidity and again stoniness. The wood shows up in the background with a slightly nutty and smoky-roasty note. The tannin offers a little more resistance here than in the Pinot from Beaune, and there is also a slight earthiness typical of the wine, reminiscent of Pommard. Overall, this is a dark-juicy charming Pinot Noir that offers a good balance of cool and warm notes as well as a nice bite. This is not complicated, not overly complex, but very fine, very drinkable and very Côte de Beaune.