2005 Chateau de la Maltroye Chassagne-Montrachet Clos St. Jean Rouge

Chateau de la Maltroye is a 36-acre estate in Chassange-Montrachet. The estate is named for the 18th century chateau that presides over the property, which since the 1940s has been owned by the Cornut family. Today the estate is run by Jean-Pierre Cornut and includes Grand Cru parcels in Batard-Montrachet, Premier Cru Blanc and Rouge parrcels in Chassange-Montrachet, and Premier Cru Blanc and Rouge parcels in Santenay. Clive Coates writes that since Jean-Pierre took over in the 1990s, “quality is now high here.”

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 red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.