Joseph Colin Chassagne-Montrachet 2021

Joseph Colin is one of the bright new names of the Côte de Beaune — son of Marc Colin and younger brother of Pierre-Yves Colin, he was bestowed some of the most beautiful vines in the world to make his own way, a Burgundian tradition; the parcels he received include some of the choicest nuggets of Chardonnay soil on the planet, with the mother lode centred in and around Saint-Aubin, Puligny and Chassagne. A village most famous for its beautifully textured and powerful whites, Chassagne-Montrachet has complex soils of sedimentary rock and limestone with less marl than its neighbours, producing wines of steely power, bright and concentrated citrus, stone or tropical fruit characteristics, and textures ranging from plush to tactile and mineral-driven. Joseph fermes with indigenous yeast and ages all his wines in 350-litre barrels on their fine lees until bottling, sulfiting only at this final stage to preserve maximum purity and freshness. 

From the first nose, the depth of fruit and sensation of quiet strength impresses — frank notes of finely honeyed white peach, apricot and melon contend with Passe-Crassane pear and Reinette apple, while a citrus touch and nuances of mint and fresh herbs reinforce a communicative energy that seems to leap from the glass and grab every sense. The expression of the soil plays out on a smokier, empyreumatic register typical of Chassagne-Montrachet's terroirs — a superb Chassagne-Montrachet of great class, structured with real precision in a register of freshness and finesse, with that spiced, smoky minerality typical of Chassagne's finest terroirs.