Size & Type
Other
Chardonnay from France, Côte du Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet, Burgundy
$221
Amiot ‘Les Vergers’ sits toward the more generous end of the spectrum. Tasting this reminded me of a chat I had with Franco d’Anna about the pendulum from riper to lean styles at a time when many were pushing the boundaries of the lean side to an extreme. ‘Chardonnay should have flavour’ he proclaimed.
Lovers of flavourful Chardonnay will be happy here. Vergers should have a solid line of acid and this does. Full of riper stone fruit, melon, creamy lees action, a pinch of baking spice all finishing with a little pith. On first pour the stone fruit and melon dominated, with time in the glass these pulled back and more ripe apple and grapefruit started to come through. The wine freshened and lengthed, the pith on the finish softened. A fascinating evolution in the glass.
Tasting this (Nov 2021) it’s clear it will give much more with another year or 2 in bottle.
From 70+ year old vines on original chardonnay plant material – Amiot calls this le vrai chardonnay or the true chardonnay
In stock
Grape variety: Chardonnay
Colour: White
Surface area: 0.55 ha
Exposure: North-east
Soil: Clay and limestone
Vine age: 70 years old
Our Vergers benefit from a north-eastern exposure and a medium altitude which is why the white Chassagne has developed a northern expression: distinctive and mineral with a freshness that makes it a wine for laying down that can be appreciated after at least 5 years.
With a history that goes back to 1920, the Amiot family has been rooted locally in the Chassagne-Montrachet terroir for generations. The founders, Flavie and Arsène, introduced a winegrowing tradition which was passed down to their son Pierre, then to their grandson Guy and today to the 4th generation represented by the great grandsons, Thierry (1969), Fabrice (1973), and the 5th generation embodied by Thierry’s daughter, Héloïse (1995).
The vineyard philosophy is simple, taking a common-sense practical approach keeping the harm of the environment to a minimum.
Without turning their backs on the beneficial contributions of science (analytical monitoring of the wines) and modern equipment (use of inert gas at bottling, thermo-control of the storage areas), Amiot’s methods of vinification in oak barrels remain traditional. The duration of maturation in barrels and vats extends to 20 months for the whites and 24 months for the reds to develop their aromatic structure.
Fabrice Amiot noted that 2017 was “initially a scary vintage for us as it looked as though we might suffer the same terrible April 2016 frost damage that cost us 70% in total losses. But in an amazingly well-coordinated effort, all the vignerons in the area banded together to burn wet hay to create a smoke screen that helped to avoid any material frost losses. After that the growing season was largely stress-free. We chose to begin picking on the 7th of September and brought in clean and ripe fruit that had good levels of potential alcohols and acidities. Moreover, yields were very good without being high so this helped considerably in filling in the deficit created by the losses in 2016. As to the wines, I find them to be notably more expressive than usual as well as highly aromatic while offering excellent tension and terroir transparency. I think that they should drink well young as there is a tenderness to them and this is true for both reds and whites.” My sense of the quality of the Amiot 2017 whites is that it is consistent with what I generally found elsewhere.
Burghound
Domaine Guy Amiot is homed in the heart of Chassagne with holdings in Chassagne-Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet and St-Aubin.
Pungent aromas of petrol, rosemary oil, resin and lemon rind serve to introduce relatively refined medium-bodied flavors that possess a sophisticated mouth feel while delivering fine length on the precise if not particularly complex finale. Again, this will need a few years to develop better overall depth but that should reasonably occur. Drink: 2022+
Where in the world does the magic happen?
Domaine Amiot Guy et Fils, Place du Grand Puits, Chassagne-Montrachet, France
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