Modern Luxuria Vol 10 March 2021

Phillippe Chavy is old-school. His website looks like Tom from Myspace made it in junior high school. He’s a third generation vigneron and no doubt nearing retirement himself. Nevertheless, he’s still out there in the vines, ploughing with a horse, eschewing chemicals, and practicing biodynamics in his humble eight hectares of Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault. But you can still taste the clean hard lines of modern technique in the cellar. He ferments in temperature-controlled stainless steel, pays the coopers, and filters his wines.

This richly poised Chardonnay over delivers for a village level bottling. The fruit comes from four old-vine parcels totalling less than one single hectare: Moulin Landin (planted 1957), Pellans (planted 1945), Gruyaches (planted 1932), and Pelles (planted 1973). Pellans and Gruyaches directly abut the lower flank of the Charmes premier cru and no doubt lend this wine its Charmes-like power. Pelles and Moulin Landin meanwhile benefit from cooling winds funneled through the valley from Saint Aubin, once a detriment but now an important balancing factor as climate change has noticeably changed the degree of ripeness year after year. These plots bring acidity and elegance to the blend.

This wine is archetypically Meursault, the sort of wine you’d use to train for blinding: Voluptuous, creamy, buttery (without being popcorned). It caresses the palate with its lovely leesy texture, exuding notes of poached pear, hazelnut, and beautifully integrated oak spice. Simply classic. Drinks well now but can be advantageously cellared for another three years.