Domaine Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey only completed its first independent vintage in 2006, but their incredible lineage is undeniable. Winemaker Pierre-Yves Colin is son of the widely regarded Domaine Marc Colin and his wife, Caroline, is daughter to the celebrated Domaine Jean-Marc Morey. Together, the couple represents modern-day Burgundian royalty and their wines are just as regal. Pierre-Yves not only worked for his father at Domaine Marc Morey after his oenology education in Beaune, he also learned under the greats in the Nôrthern Rhone, Languedoc and the Loire Valley before setting up his own, now-famous shop in Chassagne-Montrachet. With examples from Chassagne-Montrachet, Saint-Aubin, Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet, every bottle of Pierre-Yves lineup is highly sought after in the US market and lives up to every bit of hype. Today’s pedigreed examples hail from two of the most sought-after Premier Cru vineyards in their appellations. Les Chenevottes, only separated from the most celebrated Grand Cru of Le Montrachet by a tiny parcel, represents the aromatic complexity, pitch-perfect balance and rich texture I dream about which I rarely encounter; this beauty is showing brilliantly now and will evolve to a state of euphoria by its tenth birthday. Les Champs Gains resides in Puligny-Montrachet, only one vineyard away from the Grand Cru Chevalier-Montrachet, and is noted for its focused minerality and higher elevation, delivering an unrivaled precision, focus and mineral-driven expression of Côte de Beaune Chardonnay that is built to last.

 

In the vineyards, Monsieur Colin eschews the use of herbicides and opts to plow manually in an effort to further deepen the root system, which results in concentration and complexity. Each Premier Cru bottling is derived from a mere 2-3 barrels and is crafted from only the most pristine fruit. The juice is pressed into barrel where the wine undergoes fermentation with only native yeast and is never racked. The wine undergoes a slow, cold and spontaneous malolactic fermentation, which isn’t completed until 8-9 months after harvest, thus retaining ample freshness and purity of fruit. Although the wine ages on its lees, it doesn’t receive batonnage (stirring of lees) or filtration; this ensures a fresh and terroir-driven wine that is an incredibly transparent expression of Chardonnay at its best. Pierre-Yves uses only 30% new oak in predominantly 350-liter oak casks, which are larger than normal Burgundian barrels (225L). This choice lends the wine a beautiful aromatic purity that leaves the fruit of unparalleled pedigree unmasked and unadulterated by oak flavors. Although he is a non-interventionist that allows nature to take its course, there are a multitude of tiny nuances that deliver perfection in the glass. Every meticulous decision Pierre-Yves makes combines to deliver wines that are at the apex of their class.

 

The Chassagne-Montrachet, ‘Les Chenevettes,’ offers a bright, powerful nose of fresh yellow apple, crisp citrus fruit, freshly puréed hazelnut, honeysuckle and white flowers over a subtle lees and beautiful nuanced vanilla bean, all of which combines to deliver a whole other dimension to chardonnay. The wine is medium-plus in body and delivers a sensory journey, wrapped in divinely round texture and bright acidity, concluding in a satisfying, endless finish of complexity and poise. This bottle is absolutely stunning in its youth. However, 3-4 years will offer an entirely different experience and its fifteenth birthday will yield a wine of unparalleled beauty. For instant gratification, decant for one hour and serve at 60 degrees in Burgundy stems for optimal results.