Description
Jean-Claude Bachelet ‘Les Macherelles’ 1er Cru Chassagne-Montrachet 2020
The 2020 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Macherelles 1er Cru presents a finely tuned nose of citrus lemon, peach skin and touches of candle wax and crushed stone. The palate is clean and precise on the entry, then very smooth and harmonious, offering seductive peachy, mango notes. Not amazingly complex on the finish, yet there is fine persistence and sensibility to this Chassagne.
Jean-Baptiste (first vintage 2005) and Benoît Bachelet (first vintage 2000) are now the primary winemakers at the family domaine, which has been making wine since the early 17th century. The domaine is based in the village of Gamay, a hamlet of Saint-Aubin, and they have ten hectares, producing half red and half white. Almost half of the vineyards are in Chassagne-Montrachet, another 40% of the vineyards are in Saint-Aubin, and the remaining 13% of their holdings are in Puligny-Montrachet. All of the vineyards are estate-owned, and they started conversion to biodynamic production in 2012. In 2016, all ten hectares were managed following biodynamic principles. Although it means a lot more work in the vineyards, the brothers find that the wines have more precision and you get a stronger sense of terroir.
Vinification is natural with indigenous yeasts and slow fermentations. Aged for 18 months in French oak barrels on fine lees. This means that the wines have two winters in the cellar, which contributes to the finesse, depth and structure of the wine, necessary for its aging capacity.
Biodynamic
