2023 Jean-Marc Pillot, Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru, Les Vergers

The 2023 Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru, Les Vergers is a distinguished Chardonnay from Burgundy's Côte de Beaune. The Les Vergers vineyard, situated at 220-340 meters with east/southeast exposure on clay and chalk soils, imparts a profound minerality to the wine. For the 2023 vintage, a growing season marked by early budbreak, generous flowering, and timely rainfall led to a plentiful, high-quality crop, with whites like this Chardonnay showcasing richness, good acidity, and an appealing freshness despite a late-season heatwave. Producer Jean-Marc Pillot, a fourth-generation vigneron, emphasizes natural vineyard management, including year-round ploughing, organic fertilizers, and manual harvesting, ensuring the finest grapes express their terroir. This meticulous approach, combined with aging in 10-30% new French oak for 12 months followed by six months in stainless steel, results in a Chassagne-Montrachet that beautifully balances the vintage's ripeness with a vibrant, saline minerality and the precise elegance characteristic of his estate.