Clarity, Detail, Nuance, Understatement...
2008 Michel Niellon Chassagne-Montrachet
1er Cru Les Champgains
"Small is beautiful in this case."
- Clive Coates, in reference to the Niellon estate
This is not a bottle that's widely available. And for those who do have it, it's a bottle that tends to not stay on the shelf for long. If "small is beautiful" for the quality and detail one can attain at a small estate like this, it is decidedly not good for the availability.
Here today, gone... later today.
Michel Niellon is, along with Ramonet, one of the elite producers of Chassagne; as with Ramonet, the style here places purity and elegance above all else. While Niellon's Chevalier and Bâtard are Grand Crus well worth their ~$300 price, today we focus on the value-gem of the stable: Niellon's Chassagne 1er Les Champgains.
This is a wine that drinks well above its price. Niellon delivers whites with pure, pure fruit and lift. They are understated whites, linear in their mouthfeel, with a super-fine acidity and a needlepoint focus and flavor.
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The 2008 Champgains has the thrilling live wire of acidity that defines the top whites of the vintage; this wine has fruit that is both ripe and fresh, with crushed minerals lining the wine's considerable length.
The Burghound says: "Lovely juice."
Niellon's wines are almost signature-free... I mean that in the dance between winemaker and terroir, Niellon does a wonderful job of letting the site take the lead. His wines are marked by clear lines of mineral coasting through ripe but always fresh fruit, and if he is not better known, it’s likely because of the estate's small size: This is an estate of around just six hectares.
For those not familiar with the Champgains site, it sits directly to the east of Chassagne's Les Caillerets and, like that famous 1er Cru, is one of the best in the band that runs southeast from Puligny to Santenay. The soil is a shallow mix of clay and fragmented rock that receives ideal sun exposure as the slope faces southeast.
The 08 Niellon is not only eminently drinkable now but also capable of holding up in the cellar for a solid decade... if not longer. We're offering an additional break on three-packs today to encourage you to stash some in the cellar, but once again, this is a small parcel, so we encourage you to order quickly. We'll be making allocations at the end of the day.
To order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Ian McFadden
Director, Fine & Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits
1er Cru Les Champgains
Burghound: A pungent nose of crushed herb, green fruit, citrus and resin hints gives way to detailed and nicely mineral-suffused flavors that possess a sappy mouth feel on the balanced, agreeably dry and lingering finish. Lovely juice that is crafted in an understated style.
NET | No further discount