2017 Chassagne Montrachet Blanchots

I underestimated the 2017 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Blanchots Dessus when I tasted it from barrel, because it emerged as one of the finest wines in the cellar when revisited from bottle. Wafting from the glass with notes of citrus oil, mandarin, white flowers, clear honey and fresh pastry, framed by a deft touch of reduction, the wine is medium to full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, with superb concentration, a racy spine of acidity and a long, penetrating finish. This is just as tensile and incisive as the Romanée this year, but it also carries even more texture and mid-palate volume. Girardin farms this parcel, which is located next to the late Jean-Claude Bachelet's.

Barrel sample. Ripe fruit but a little more delicate and precise than the Meursault Perrières. Rich in fruit but balanced by crisp acidity. Long finish. (JH)

(from vines located just below Montrachet, according to Christophe Morin; not yet sulfited following a late malo and in a tired phase today): Pale bright yellow. Rather stunted nose hints at marzipan, white chocolate and spices. Concentrated, tactile and salty; more soil-driven and less about fruit than most of these 2017 samples but difficult to assess today. Finishes very long and tactile, with a slight malic edge. My range is just an approximation as this wine is in a distinctly awkward stage right now and needs more élevage .