Morey-Coffinet, Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge, “Les Chaumes” Cheap

Morey-Coffinet, Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge, “Les Chaumes”

Morey-Coffinet’s “Les Chaumes” Rouge is one of the greatest sleeper superstars in SommSelect history. And it’s not because of the novelty of it being a red wine from Chassagne-Montrachet. It’s because it’s a red wine from Chassagne that is mind-bendingly good and consistent to boot. We’ve offered this bottling many times over the years, to the delight of subscribers who relish all the nuances that make the Burgundy region so special. If somehow, this perennial favorite is new to you—and especially if you love supple, perfumed Côte de Beaune Pinots from appellations like Volnay—you need to check this wine out.

Maybe you only think of Chassagne-Montrachet for opulent, mineral Chardonnay, but think again: This wine, and Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge in general, is not an outlier but a real expression of an important Côte de Beaune terroir. Although there are others, I think “Le Chaumes” is the standard-bearer for the appellation and an excellent value. It goes way beyond “nice” into some seriously rarefied territory!

Of course, Chassagne-Montrachet is synonymous with white wine—like many winemaking villages in Burgundy, its most famous vineyard site is officially affixed to its name—and there’s about twice as much Chardonnay as Pinot Noir planted in Chassagne. But, they nevertheless grow side-by-side here; there are about 100 hectares of Pinot Noir vineyards in Chassagne, compared to fewer than 20 in Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault combined. And, as the vineyards of the Corton hill more famously demonstrate, it’s not as if the Côte de Beaune terroir is not well-suited to both varieties. The “Les Chaumes” vineyard is near the base of the Chassagne-Montrachet slope, toward the southern end of the village, with the clay-and-limestone mix that characterizes the whole of Burgundy.

If you look around, in fact, you’ll see plenty of noteworthy names on bottles of red Chassagne—Ramonet, Hubert Lamy, Guy Amiot—and Morey-Coffinet was created from the union of two other well-known families. In the late 1970s, Michel Morey (son of Marc), founded the estate with vineyards inherited by himself and his wife, Fabienne (of the well-known Pillot family). Today, Michel and his son, Thibault, oversee about 8 hectares of vineyards, the overwhelming majority of which are in Chassagne, including most of the top Premier Crus and the Grand Cru Bâtard-Montrachet. Thibault has converted the domaine’s farming to Ecocert-certified organic and biodynamic, which shows in the purity and energy in the wines. Overall, their production is about 70% white, but there are several bottlings of Chassagne Rouge. “Les Chaumes” has proved to be a well-rounded, early-drinking red with great perfume and deep cherry fruit. It is an extremely pretty style, though in 2018 it boasts a little extra weight, with a pleasingly sappy fruit component balanced by bright acidity.

In the glass, the 2018 “Les Chaumes” is a brilliant ruby-red moving to magenta at the rim, with an extremely inviting nose loaded with fresh, ripe notes of red and black cherry, wild strawberry, and cranberry mixed with wet rose petals and forest floor/under brushy quality. The minerality and tannin is subtle and fine-grained, and the fruit generous—it should age nicely over the short term, about 5-7 years, but it is quite approachable now. Decant it about a half-hour before serving in Burgundy stems at 60-65 degrees. Medium-bodied, with a subtle smokiness, this would be fantastic with some grilled salmon or roasted chicken, prepared simply. This wine has got everything you could ask for in serious red Burgundy, without the serious red Burgundy price. Want to bring the most interesting bottle to the party next time? This is it!