2006 Henri Boillot Chassagne-Montrachet

Maison Henri Boillot is owned and operated by Henri Boillot, a fifth-generation vigneron in the Côte d’Or and the proprietor of one of Burgundy’s most impressive estates. In 1984 Henri left the family estate to start his own negociant business. He later rejoined the estate and bought out his brother and sister, changing the name of the estate to reflect his sole ownership. His brother owns the similarly-named Domaine Jean-Marc Boillot. Maison Henri Boillot owns a total of 35 acres, mostly in premier cru vineyards in Volnay, Beaune, Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet. Boillot does not use pesticides or chemicals in his vineyards, and vines are heavily pruned for low yields. The vineyards are evenly split between Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Wine Advocate has noted that Boillot wines are “excellent representatives of the fundamental character one has come to expect” from the legendary premier cru vineyards of Volnay, Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet.

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.