Domaine Michel Niellon Chassagne-Montrachet Les champ Gains France Cote de Beaune 2019

Domaine Michel Niellon Chassagne-Montrachet Les champ Gains France Cote de Beaune 2019

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Burghound Wine Review

Domaine Michel Niellon
2019
Chassagne-Montrachet "Les Champs Gain"
1er Cru White 750 ml
Score: 91 Burghound
Tasted: Jun 10, 2021
Drink: 2026+
Issue: 83
Note: from a .44 ha parcel situated in shallow soil that is a mixture of clay and fragmented rock
Producer note: For readers who may not have heard, the uber-talented yet ever-modest Michel Niellon has passed away. He was one of the very first vignerons that I visited when I first went to Burgundy some 40+ years ago and he was always gracious and welcoming. He will be sorely missed, not only by his family but also by his legion of fans. He is succeeded by his daughter Françoise, son-in-law Michel Coutoux, as well as two grandchildren, both of whom have joined the domaine. With respect to the 2019 vintage, Coutoux commented that "it was yet another hot, dry and precocious growing season. Yields were all over the place as some were normal and some as low as 25 hl/ha due to the one-two punch of frost damage and a poor flowering. This is to say that most of the villages vineyards came in between 50 and 57 hl/ha, but one gave us 45 hl/ha and then several more were in the 25 hl/ha range. At least yields were above what we realized in 2016 but not that much more. We picked from the 7th of September and the fruit was clean with potential alcohols of 12.5 to 13.6% and good pHs. Regarding the wines, I was frankly surprised by their energy and freshness, as well as by the excellent terroir transparency. They should age well but they're so dense that they should also be reasonably accessible young." Fans of the domaine should be aware that the label has been redesigned as of the 2019 vintage and that the Bâtard will not reappear until 2023 or 2024. The vines in Chevalier will be progressively replaced as well over the next few years. Lastly, Coutoux noted that the 2019s were bottled in August 2020. (Treasury Château & Estates Wines, www.tweglobal.com, CA and Terlato Wines International, www.terlatowines.com, IL, both USA; O.W. Loeb, www.owloeb.com, Berry Brothers & Rudd, www.bbr.com and Robert Rolls & Co., www.robertrolls.com, all UK; Altaya Wines, www.altayawines.com, Hong Kong).
Tasting note: More elegant and perfumed aromas include those of just sliced apple, spiced pear and a touch of acacia blossom. There is slightly better vibrancy to the equally plump, fleshy and caressing medium-bodied flavors that terminate in a more detailed and sneaky long bitter lemon rind finish.
The Wine Advocate
RP 92+
Reviewed by:
William Kelley
Drink Date:
2024 - 2042

The 2019 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Champs Gain has turned out very well, mingling aromas of pear, white flowers, toasted brioche, orange oil and anise. Medium to full-bodied, bright and chalky, it's intense and youthfully tightly wound. This is one of the most serious Champs Gains that Niellon has produced in recent years.