2002 Maison Leroy Montagny Blanc

Maison Leroy is often called the greatest estate in Burgundy. Its wines are legendary, as is its history. Founded in 1868 by Francois Leroy in Vosne-Romanee, the Leroy name was associated with outstanding wine by the late 19th century. In 1942 the family purchased half of Domaine de la Romanee-Conti. Today the estate is run by the remarkable Lalou Leroy, who ran the family’s negociant business for decades before taking over winemaking in 1988. She added vineyards to the estate and today has 56 acres of prime parcels planted to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Aligote. About 17 of her acres are in grand cru vineyards, including Corton-Charlemagne, Corton-Renardes, Richebourg, Romanee-St. Vivant, Clos de Vougeot, Musigny, Clos de la Roche, Latricieres-Chambertin and Chambertin. Robert M. Parker Jr. has called Leroy’s wines “the reference point for Burgundy…(the wines) are among the noblest and purest expressions of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Burgundy.”

Côte Chalonnaise is just south of Côte de Beaune, but a million miles away in terms of its recognition as a part of Burgundy. Writer Clive Coates has called Côte Chalonnaise a “well-known forgotten area…While everyone acknowledges that it is worth investigating, few merchants bother to go prospecting.” Part of the recognition problem is that until 1990 there was no Côte Chalonnaise appellation for generic wines. Today there is a Bourgogne-Côte Chalonnaise appellation that covers parts of 44 villages. There are also five villages with AOC status and many Premier Cru vineyards, though no Grand Crus. The villages are Rully, Mercurey, Givry, Montagny and Bouzeron. Bouzeron is noteworthy because its white wines are made from the Aligoté grape rather than Chardonnay. The other villages produce Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Côte Chalonnaise has about 300 acres of vineyards.

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.