Description
Remoissenet Père et Fils, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru “Les Champs Gain”
Ting! My text notification sounded off and I read the contents: “Boss released the final cases of 2017 Remo Champs Gain. Now or never.” I think you know what happened next…When given the rare opportunity to secure a Chassagne Premier Cru produced to the tune of four barrels, hesitating is not recommended. That’s especially the case for a classic, richly textured, soil-expressive 2017 vintage that yielded liquid gold for Remoissenet GM/Burgundy maestro Pierre Rovani.
His lineup of 2017s, which are becoming increasingly hard to track down, have now achieved the perfect conflux of opulence and savoriness. Most notably, this Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru “Les Champs Gain.” Although a coveted terroir on its own, it also neighbors Premier Crus Cailleret and Maltroie which are worked by legends Ramonet, Leflaive, PYCM, and Moreau. Translation: this is Chardonnay Shangri-La, and today’s 2017 is a devastatingly lush, tense, and highly limited white Burgundy for the ultimate collector. Only available here. Up to six bottles.
Since we launched SommSelect, we’ve watched with a mixture of delight and awe as this historic négociant firm has transformed itself into one of Burgundy’s most nimble, thoughtful, and wide-ranging explorers of the region’s many terroirs. They’ve done this by homing in on the greatest vineyards in the region, often purchasing parcels to complement what they get from contract growers, but in either instance, a focus on the very best raw material is paramount.
Given how many Remoissenet Burgundies we’ve offered, both young and old, the story of this iconic brand is probably well-known by now: The firm, whose catacomb-like cellars in the town of Beaune hold an incredible library of back-vintage bottles, was acquired—and subsequently supercharged—by a new ownership group in 2005. A dream team of Burgundy talent was assembled to bring the once-moribund brand back to prominence: Cellar Master Bernard Répolt; GM Pierre Rovani; and Winemaker Claudie Jobard.
“Les Champs Gain”—not to be confused with “Champ Gain” in Puligny-Montrachet (Burgundy is confusing like that)—lies in the southern half of Chassagne. In 2017, Pierre Rovani purchased a small parcel of fruit from one of his longtime grower partners and shuttled the pristine crop to his cellar. Here, it spontaneously fermented and matured in premium, 350-liter François Frères barrels. Just four barrels of wine were produced—two were brand new, the others once-used.
I had the fortune of briefly connecting with Pierre over email after tasting this bottle of 2017 and here are his tasting notes: “This reflects its vintage’s vivaciousness as well as our obsession with ripe fruit. Minerals, wildflowers, and white fruits can be found in its aromas and flavors. Well-balanced and medium-bodied, it also proudly sports a long, seamless finish.” I’d like to emphasize their obsession with ripe fruit: This is gloriously supple and luxurious in its constitution, but each layer—bursting as it is with yellow orchard fruits, lees, baking spice, buttered toast, and fleshy pineapple—shimmers and soars with crystalline precision and a powerful soil imprint. Give it 15-30 minutes in a decanter, serve in your largest Burgundy stem just under cellar temperature, and make your bottle last well into the evening. At five years of age, it’s drinking beautifully but it’s due for another savory upgrade in another five. This is going to be a superstar in your cellar. Enjoy!
