2022 Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge, Champs de Morjot, Domaine Philippe Colin, Burgundy

The 2022 Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge Champ de Morjot has more fruit intensity on the nose than the Santenay, with just a touch of mocha infusing the dark red berry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with dark red fruit, spice box and peppery notes, attenuating slightly towards the finish that feels a bit rustic compared to its peers.

Winemaking duties are under Emmanuel Lanier-Garde, as Philippe Colin now spends much of his time in South Africa making wine under the Topiary label. “We harvested from August 26 for around 10 or 11 days,” Lanier-Garde tells me. “The yields are very good, around 45-55hL/ha. We were a bit afraid of the heat, but the wines turned out to be well-balanced, and I think that they will be keepers. We now use 500-liter barrels only during the élevage. Most cuvées will be bottled in early 2024.” Not a bad line-up here, although I often found myself seeking more complexity and substance.

Drink 2024 - 2032

A fuller deeper purple colour than the Santenay. Darker cherries, along with some firm raspberries, more backward yet still all about the fruit. The balance between fruit and classic tannin structure works very well.

Drink 2026 - 2030

Here too there is a discreet application of wood suffusing the slightly riper aromas of poached plum, pepper and just turned earth. The delicious and vibrant flavors are attractively textured, if not especially dense, while delivering solid persistence on the youthfully austere and slightly firmer finale. In contrast to the first two wines, this one needs 2 to 3 years of keeping first.

Drink from 2027 onward