Lucien Le Moine Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Caillerets 2023 750ml

90-93 Firm reduction once again overshadows the fruit. On the palate though there is a highly seductive texture to the vibrant middle weight flavors that are both succulent and dense, all wrapped in a lightly stony saliva-inducing finish that is impeccably well-balanced and long. This well-made effort could use better depth so at least moderate cellaring is in order.

• Country: France
• Region: Burgundy
• Appellation: Cote De Beaune
• Sub Appellation: Chassagne Montrachet
• Size: 750ml
• Color: White
• Alcohol by Vol: 14.0%

Varietal

Chardonnay

Of all the white wine grape varietals, surely the one that has spread the furthest and is most widely appreciated is Chardonnay. This green-skinned grape is now grown all over the Old and New Worlds, from New Zealand to the Americas, from England to Chile, and is one of the first varietals people think of when considering white wine grapes. Perhaps this is because of its huge popularity, which reached a peak in the 1990s, thanks to new technologies combining with traditional methods to bring the very best features out of the Chardonnay grape and allow its unique qualities to shine through. Most fine Chardonnay wines use a process known as malolactic fermentation, wherein the malic acids in the grape juice are converted to lactic acids, allowing a creamier, buttery nature to come forward in the wine. No grape varietal is better suited to this process than Chardonnay, which manages to balance these silky, creamy notes with fresh white fruit flavors beautifully.