1993 Chevalier Montrachet
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Tasting notes
Orange-tinged yellow. Ripe apricot, hazelnut, almond and clove aromas suggest at least a touch of botrytis. Then tactile, dense and thick on the palate, showing a honeyed ripeness for the year. I've always enjoyed the '93 vintage from Leflaive but this extract-rich wine has become considerably more full-blown in the past ten years and now shows rare sweetness and ripeness for a vintage that began quite mineral-driven and dry. This now has a texture I would describe as old-fashioned, like back in the day when white Burgundies were made with a higher percentage of solids. But as chewy as it is, it finishes smooth rather than edgy or dry. (13.55% alcohol; 3.12 pH; harvested beginning on September 20)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Purists will adore the 1993 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru, a steely, racy vintage that has evolved marvelously in bottle. Aromas of dried white flowers, mandarin and lemon oil mingle with scents of beeswax, vanilla pod, saffron and warm bread in a complex bouquet, introducing a full-bodied, ample and incisive wine with a deep, layered and tensile mid-palate, striking energy and concentration and a long, penetrating finish. This utterly classic Chevalier is drinking very well today, but well-cellared bottles will easily enjoy another decade's longevity. Served on its own, rather than alongside the ampler, more powerful 1992, 1990 and 1989, this overlooked vintage might well merit a higher score. By the numbers, it attained 13.66% alcohol and a pH of 3.12.
Pale gold. (The only one in this older flight to be decanted.) Sweet and charming on the nose with real Chevalier acidity and minerality – and lots of interest. Good attack. Very dense and reverberating – extremely good and far from over the hill. (JR)
About the producer
Domaine Leflaive is arguably Burgundy’s most famous white wine producer, setting the benchmark for top-quality Chardonnay in the Côte de Beaune and the world. The property is the largest land-owner in Puligny-Montrachet, with extensive holdings in the village and five hectares of Grand Cru vineyards