This is an iconic 7.5 hectare domaine and we are delighted to secure an allocation of their impeccable wines. Michel Niellon began working with his father in the 1950s and was joined by his son-in-law, Michel Coutoux, in 1991 and grandson, Matthieu Bresson more recently. From their smart, new cellars on the outskirts of the village, they are making some of the finest wines in the Côte de Beaune.
They seek to preserve acidity and are often one of the first growers to begin picking. However, their style remains generous, ripe and concentrated, whilst retaining poise and precision. Of note:- Fermentation begins in stainless steel tanks and then oak barrels for malolactic fermentation and maturation – 25-30% new oak. They like solids and only lightly settle the juice. No bâtonnage and no racking until bottling.
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous.com
'Michel Coutoux, who manages this estate for his father-in-law Michel Niellon and shares winemaking and vineyard duties, described 2017 as "a big breath of oxygen after all the difficulties in 2016." The estate "made the limit" across the board, as its vineyards snapped back after the disastrous frost of 2016. Still, said Coutoux, the volumes were not excessive and the wines are "flattering and nicely balanced, with good fruit." He noted that acidity levels in the grapes fell during the heat of late August, with east- and southeast-facing vines on shallow soil more likely to suffer from a blockage of maturity, but that conditions were much more benign during the first week of September (the estate started harvesting on September 3). He also told me that Pinot Noir was changed more by the end-of-August rainfall as the Chardonnay berries affected by hydric stress did not swell as quickly. Incidentally, back when Niellon made his wine in two tiny, cramped cellars under his house in the center of Chassagne-Montrachet, the end of the sugar fermentations could be tricky, as they took place in metal tanks. But in his new temperature-controlled facility on the south side of town, he's able to move the wines into barrels in the middle of the fermentations, giving them a dose of oxygen that helps finish the alcohols.'
