Wine Advisor
Vougeraie, Chevalier Montrachet Grand Cru 2017
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2017 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru showed just a little reduction on the nose, displaying a faint cough candy scent along with yellow flowers and lemon thyme; an underlying steeliness emerges with continued aeration. The palate has a lime- and orange-peel-tinged entry, good weight and less reduction than the aromatics. It feels fresh and lightly spiced toward a citric, energetic, complex finish. This has a lot of potential and was easily the best showing from the estate at the Burgfest blind tasting.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2017 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru has a taut, stony bouquet with a subtle marine influence, hints of oyster shell, almost estuarine aromas, developing in the glass and complementing the citrus fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with a fine bead of acidity, commendable weight and density in the mouth and some lovely baked bread notes toward the finish. For me, it just needs more bite, more nervosité, a facet that might have been denied by the warmth of the growing season. Still, this should drink well over the next couple of decades.
About the Producer
Domaine de la Vougeraie is located in the wine-producing village of Premeaux between Cote de Nuits and Cote de Beaune in Burgundy, France. Chateau Vujaré was formally established in 1999 and is the property of one of the Burgundy wine merchant giants, the Posset family. The name of the winery "Vougeraie" means that the family owns a large piece of land in Vougeot (Clos de Vougeot), which is also the name of Claude's private residence in Vougeot. Today, the Posset family has effectively integrated the French and American wine industries and has become one of the world's premier luxury wine producers. Wujielai Winery has 67 vineyards with a total area of more than 34 hectares. Two-thirds of the winery's vineyards are located in the Côte de Nuits, and the rest are in the Côte de Beaune. Each area of the winery has different soil and climatic conditions. Some areas are dominated by sandy clay on the surface and clay on the bottom layer, which is suitable for planting Pinot Noir. Some parks have chalk (Chalk) soil, more pebbles, and Pinot Noir is also planted. The winery has been using organic farming methods to manage the vineyards since 1998. In 1999, the organic method of growing the vineyard was officially approved. Since 2001, the vineyards have been managed using Biodynamic methods. During the grape harvest season, the growers will regularly measure the grapes to ensure the best balance between the sugar content, pH and acidity of the grapes, and predict the best time for grape picking in turn, and then pick the grapes manually . Biodynamic method is a major feature of Wujielai Winery. The biodynamic method regards the entire planting area as a whole, emphasizing biodiversity. By studying the changes of the sun, the moon and the stars, and giving corresponding guidance at the right time, the vitality of animals and plants can be enhanced. Guided by the biodynamic calendar, biodynamic methods run through the entire process of viticulture, pruning and harvesting. This biodynamic calendar includes fruit days, root days, flower days and leaf days. All kinds of winemaking equipment in the winery are large in scale and of very good quality.
