2009 Chassagne Montrachet

The 2009 Chassagne-Montrachet emerges from the glass with striking aromatics. It shows gorgeous transparency in a fairly restrained style of Chassagne built more on finesse than power.

The 2009 Chassagne-Montrachet emerges from the glass with striking aromatics. It shows gorgeous transparency in a fairly restrained style of Chassagne built more on finesse than power. Anticipated maturity: 2012+. This is a beautiful set of wines from Henri Boillot’s negociant line. The entry-level wines in particular offer fabulous value. If anything, those are the most interesting wines here. When tasting Burgundy it is tempting to assume that premier crus are better than villages, and grand crus are better than the premiers, but that is often not the case, especially in a warm vintage where lesser sites ripened to a greate extent than is typically possible. Shrewd readers will find many jewels in this lineup, but they won’t be in the most likely places. In 2011 Boillot will have several new wines in his range, including Referts and Combettes. The 2009 villages were bottled in November, while the premier crus were bottled in January 2011. Importer: Various US importers, including Massanois Imports, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 470-6769

Bright, pale color. Pure aromas of citrus fruits and flowers. Offers more cut and concentration than the Saint-Aubin, with lemon and menthol flavors displaying good richness. Finishes with firm citric grip and bright acidity.