2017 Chassagne-Montrachet, Caillerets, 1er Cru, Vincent & Sophie Morey, Burgundy

Chardonnay is often seen as the king of white wine grapes and one of the most widely planted in the world It is suited to a wide variety of soils, though it excels in soils with a high limestone content as found in Champagne, Chablis, and the Côte D`Or. Burgundy is Chardonnay's spiritual home and the best White Burgundies are dry, rich, honeyed wines with marvellous poise, elegance and balance. They are unquestionably the finest dry white wines in the world. Chardonnay plays a crucial role in the Champagne blend, providing structure and finesse, and is the sole grape in Blanc de Blancs.

Vincent, who physically resembles his father Bernard, has taken over the latter’s cellar near the Abbaye de Morgeot. He is married to Sophie, from Santenay, though she is the other principal owner with the Moreys of Chassagne premier cru Les Embrazées: did they meet while working in those vines? The combined domaine is now 20 hectares in total, although some wines are still sold off in bulk. Vincent Morey is keen on lees-stirring, though having noted that it takes about two weeks for the suspended lees to fall clear, he now does his bâtonnage once a fortnight instead of every week, as his father used to do. The wines of both père and fils have an engaging plumpness. The barrel regime is relatively standard across the cellar: 50 per cent new wood for the red premiers crus, while typically the whites receive 40 per cent each new and one-year-old wood, with the balance made up by two-year-old barrels. Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Embrazées is the domaine's  flagship premier cru, since Vincent and Sophie’s marriage brought the two largest holdings together. It is usually a full, rich, ageworthy example with an intense mineral core.  Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director After nearly three decades living and breathing the region’s wine, Jasper Morris MW, BBR Burgundy Buyer, has gathered all his knowledge and experience together in a comprehensive handbook, Inside Burgundy, available from our BB&R Press.