Today we unleash a monumental Premier Cru Chassagne-Montrachet! One would be hard pressed to match the grandeur, depth, and inimitable terroir character in this wine without spending a small fortune on a neighboring Grand Cru. The word on the street in this small village is that legend Jean-Marc Morey will be retiring soon, so we’ve already begun hoarding top wines from recent vintages.
While Jean-Marc continues making exceptional wines, so far, nothing equals his astounding 2014 from “Les Chenevottes.” Not only does this bottle explode with exceptional power and vivid aromatics, but it also represents a rare opportunity to experience the magic of one of this village’s great masters in a top site and vintage without that customarily brutal three-figure buy-in. Further, Premier Cru “Les Chenevottes” is chiseled
next to the Grand Crus of Le Montrachet and Bâtard-Montrachet—home to the grandest Chardonnay in the world. “Les Chenevottes” is revered for producing towering, muscular Chassagne-Montrachet and Morey does not disappoint with today’s epic 2014 (one of my favorite vintages for white wine). This beauty is roaring through its prime drinking window and promises to deliver fireworks for another 6-8 years, if not more!
[NOTE: Due to scarcity, this wine is only available on pre-offer and will be arriving and shipping from our warehouse the week of December 10th.]
As Burgundy lovers are aware, the ‘Morey’ surname is well-dispersed in the Côte de Beaune. Jean-Marc Morey is the son of Albert Morey, one of the earliest producers in Chassagne to bottle his own wines. When Albert retired in 1981, he split up his vineyard holdings between his two sons, Jean-Marc and Bernard, who took the somewhat unusual step of keeping vineyard parcels whole (rather than each having half of every one). Jean-Marc ended up with an excellent array of sites, including pieces of the great Chassagne Premier Crus “Les Caillerets,” “Champs Gains,” “Chaumées,” and “Les Chenevottes.” Overall, his holdings encompass nine hectares, most of them in Chassagne-Montrachet but extending to Santenay, Saint-Aubin, and Beaune as well. Now, Jean-Marc Morey is widely recognized as one of the great masters of Chassagne-Montrachet, maintaining a beautifully antique style that recalls the finest white Burgundies of yesteryear.
As I’ve noted before, 2014 is an extremely generous, yet balanced, white wine vintage in Burgundy, and this bottling from “Les Chenevottes”—sourced from Morey’s tiny .22-hectare plot of 30+-year-old vines—is a luxurious, lip-smacking wine with layers of concentrated flavor. Fruit is hand harvested, then taken directly from press into barrel. There are no synthetic yeasts or enzymes, no shiny stainless steel tanks, and no elaborate temperature control systems—just mother nature and the constant chill of Jean-Marc’s cellar slowly working its magic. Morey is known for working very traditionally in both the vineyards and cellar, and favors relatively short maturation times in wood for his white wines—and never more than 25% new barrels for aging, which typically lasts just under a year before bottling.
Jean-Marc Morey’s 2014 “Les Chenevottes” slowly unfurls in the glass with opulent golden apple, white nectarine, and pear fruit. This is a wonderfully powerful and full-bodied wine by Burgundy standards and there’s a gorgeous counterbalance of limestone minerality and a creamy hazelnut richness on the palate. Like all Morey whites, including the 2014 Bâtard-Montrachet we offered last year, this wine benefits from a brief, 30-minute rest in a decanter. Please serve at 55-60 degrees in large Burgundy stems alongside an appropriately robust dish. I personally love “big dog” white Burgundy with veal. These grilled chops, served with garlic mashed potatoes, carrots, and creamed spinach were a spectacular accompaniment. Also, be sure to save a glass to savor post-meal. I stretched my most recent bottle of today’s wine into the small hours alongside an oozing quarter wheel of Epoisses. The cooler weather is finally upon us, and this is the perfect wine for a rich cheeses and satisfying winter cuisine!
