From the start of our adventure Colleen and I have been exploring some of the most beautiful vineyards in the Côte-d’Or in search of some amazing grapes. While a few weeks ago we found our enticingly delicious parcels for Pinot Noir in Gevrey-Chambertin we had yet to find the right vineyards for our Chardonnay. We have visited many vineyards… while all were beautiful we did not feel the right connection to any of them. That is until last week when we visited the village of Chassagne-Montrachet.
Talk about last minute… The harvest of white in the Côte de Beaune started full swing last weekend. Shortly after the harvest had commenced, Colleen and I found ourselves scooting through the hillsides which are home to the grand cru Montrachet vineyards. In our little white 2CV with the top down we were heading to the village of Chassagne-Montrachet.
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First stop, a tiny premier cru, at only 1.56 hectares called “En Remilly”. The vineyard is located on the border of Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montachet and nestled in next to the grand cru vineyard of Chevalier-Montrachet. The grapes are absolutely stunning. Despite the difficult year the 60 year old vines were able to produce ripe and healthy fruit… which is now ready to be picked. Being in the vineyard was a magical experience. Strolling up and down the rows, plucking a grape now and then and tasting the sweet juicy berries. We knew instantly, this was a special vineyard and these grapes would be amazing to work with. This year we will be producing 3 and a half barrels of “En Remilly”.
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Hoping back into the 2CV we head further south and zip through the village. Our next destination? “En Caillerets”. This premier cru is located just south of the village of Chassagne-Montrachet. It takes it’s name directly from it’s soils, which are packed with limestone and small white pebbles. Caille is an old French word for stone. This vineyard also lends it’s name to the surrounding 10+ hectares which are known as “Les Caillerets”. ”Les Caillerets”, includes the lieux-dits of “En Caillerets”, “Combards”, “Chassagne” and “Vigne Derrière”. The vineyard “En Caillerets” is the best of the bunch and is consistently produces wines that rival the neighboring grand crus. We are thrilled to be producing 2 barrels of “En Caillerets” this year.
