2004 Bernard Morey Chassagne-Montrachet Les Embrazées

Domaine Bernard Morey is in Chassagne-Montrachet, Burgundy. The 21-acre estate is owned and operated by Bernard Morey and his two sons, Thomas and Vincent. With the exception of a small parcel of Batard-Montrachet, most of the domain’s vineyards are premier cru. The estate produces both red and white wines that please many Burgundy wine experts. Robert M. Parker Jr. has written that “I would be happy to drink any wine from this domaine. Bernard Morey has always been one of my favorite producers, fashioning upfront, juicy, succulently-styled wines…”

Chassagne-Montrachet is the appellation that covers the communes of Chassagne-Montrachet and Remigny, and it is the southern-most of the Côte d’Or’s three great white wine appellations of Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet. With 1,200 acres of vineyards, it is one of the largest appellations in the region, and more than half the vineyard acreage is Grand Cru or Premier Cru. The three famous Grand Crus are Le Montrachet, Bâtard-Montrachet and Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet. There are also 16 main Premiers Crus, most of them considered very high quality, and village wines. One fact rarely noted is that historically the appellation produced more red than white wine. In the late 1990s the ratio of white to red wines changed, however, as more vineyards were converted from Pinot Noir to Chardonnay, a logical decision given the acclaim of the appellation’s whites. There are still intriguing red wines produced. Clive Coates wrote that the appellation’s white wines generally are “full and firm, more akin to Puligny than to the softer, rounder wines of Meursault.”

This white variety originated in Burgundy, but is now grown around the world. Its flexibility to thrive in many regions translates to wide flavor profile in the market. Chardonnay is commonly used in making Champagne and sparkling wines.