Au Pied du Mont Chauve : Chassagne-Montrachet 1er cru "Les Chenevottes" 2023

Characteristics and tasting notes of the Chassagne-Montrachet 1er cru "Les Chenevottes" 2023 by Au Pied du Mont Chauve

Tasting

Appearance

The wine reveals a beautiful pale golden-yellow hue, both clear and bright.

Nose

Displaying great aromatic finesse, the nose exudes scents of stone fruits, such as white peach and nectarine, harmoniously blended with citrus notes. Subtle mineral hints evoking flint and chalk intertwine with delicate woody, toasted and vanilla nuances.

Palate

Elegant and crisp, the palate offers a medium body supported by a well-judged acidity. It unfolds refreshing flavours of lime zest and stone fruits, wrapped in a silky texture. The remarkably long finish stretches out on persistent mineral notes, illustrating a perfect balance between freshness and generosity.

Serving and cellaring

Endowed with excellent ageing potential, this Burgundy wine can wait in the cellar until around 2033.

The mineral elegance of a great white Burgundy wine

The estate

Created in the late 2000s by Francine Picard, who today runs the estate, Au Pied du Mont Chauve brings together the family's viticultural jewels on the Côte de Beaune, in Burgundy. Spanning 35 hectares, the estate stands out for its environmental commitment, having obtained biodynamic farming certification in 2019. Under the guidance of cellar master Alice Evrard, the estate crafts precise, low-intervention terroir wines that reflect all the richness and complexity of the Burgundian climats.

The vineyard

This wine comes from a 0.60-hectare plot located in the northern part of the village of Chassagne-Montrachet, in the immediate vicinity of the famous Grand Cru Le Montrachet. Facing east, the vines benefit from morning sunshine and refreshing afternoon breezes. The terroir lies on clay-limestone soils rich in gravel and stones, typical of the "pierre de Chassagne", providing excellent drainage. The vineyard is managed using biodynamic methods, favouring natural grass cover and mechanical soil work. The vines were planted between the 1940s and 2010, on a red soil composed of iron oxide.

The vintage

The year 2023 began with a particularly mild winter, followed by a cooler month of April when late budbreak protected the buds from spring frosts. The very warm month of May accelerated the vegetative cycle, leading to flowering under the June sun. The summer was marked by intense heat, fortunately tempered by localised storms in July and welcome rainy spells in August. The harvest, which started in September under scorching temperatures, was often carried out at night or early in the morning to preserve the freshness of the berries.

Vinification and ageing

For this Chassagne-Montrachet 1er cru "Les Chenevottes" 2023, the grapes are hand-harvested into small crates and then rigorously sorted. A gentle pneumatic whole-bunch pressing is carried out, followed by an overnight settling in stainless steel tanks. Alcoholic fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts in oak barrels, with a proportion of new wood carefully adapted to the vintage. Ageing continues on the lees for about 18 months (45% in Burgundian barrels and 55% in 350L barrels of two wines or more).

Grape variety

Chardonnay (100%).