Chassagne-Montrachet Maison Bader-Mimeur 2002 (Wine)
Wine Messenger Rating : 92 Country : France Region : Burgundy Grape : Pinot Noir Alcohol : 13% Description : A rare, red village Chassagne made from a Pinot Noir vineyard planted in 1945! Ages 15 months in oak. Intense red fruit, mineral, and earthy flavors. A food wine. Release Notes : An excellent Red Chassagne from old pinot noir vines that were planted in 1945 and now give exceptional wines. The grapes are harvested by hand by a team of experienced harvesters. The highest quality grapes were placed in large oak vats for 2 to 3 weeks. These vats were gently heated to improve the extraction of color from the skins. When the fermentation is finished the wine is transfered to small oak casks (20% new per year) where it matures in wood for 15 to 18 months, before the several cuvees are married and botted as clos du chateau. Tasting Notes : This beautiful village Burgundy has a lovely cherry red color. It is very fruity with cherry and spice notes and complex aromas. Lively and balanced, cherry and redcurrant fruit flavors predominate on the palate. This wine has good acidity, excellent mouthfeel and a soft, round finish. Can age 5 to 8 years. Serve with lamb, roasted or grilled squab, Cornish hens, steak, stews, and strong cheeses. Pair with : Aperitif, Hard Cheese, Lamb, Steak, Stews Region Info : There is an old French saying that a rich bourgeois opens an old bottle of Bordeaux every Sunday with lunch, but only opens a good bottle of Burgundy for his birthday or the engagement of his daughter to a promising suitor. This saying, like most old sayings, is full of wisdom, because it reflects the rarity and uniqueness of Burgundy, and it also rightly implies that Burgundy does not have to be old to be good (unlike Bordeaux which almost always requires aging). Like all wines, every Burgundy is not a stellar wine, in fact, I do not know one Burgundy enthusiast who has not been disappointed by a Burgundy wine at least once. But when you find a great Burgundy it is truly peerless. Burgundy is an incredibly unique region in France, and the most confusing one to master Geography Burgundy incorporates five distinct regions spread over a north-south axis stretching over 200 miles. Chablis is a unique white wine region located about 90 miles northwest of Dijon. Cte dOr is the most famous wine region in the world. It is located on a ridge beginning at Dijon in the north and going south for about 35 miles to the village of Chagny. The medieval town of Beaune, roughly situated in the middle, splits the ridge into Cte de Nuits in the north, and Ctes de Beaune in the south. Beyond Chagny, starts a new Cte going north-east/south-west called Cte Chalonnaise . This ridge is not as regular as Cte dOr and the hilly territory is much wider. Further south, comes the Mconnais , a compilation of gentle hills without any particular order. It took the name of the town at its center called Mcon. Finally, between the Mconnais and the vast