2018 Domaine Michel Niellon Chassagne-Montrachet Clos D

One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn’t like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.

Les Champs Gainis a Premier Cru climat in the center of the Chassagne-Montrachet commune at the southern end of the Côte d’Or. It is planted to both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, making both red and white wines, but it is the medium-bodied, rounded white wines that attract the most attention from critics and wine lovers alike.

Michel Niellon is a Burgundian producer located in Chassagne-Montrachet. The estate began selling wine in the 1960s, and has been run by three generations of the Niellon family. Michel Niellon, the current proprietor, is best known for his Chardonnays,  including those from the grand cru climats of Chevalier-Montrachet and Bâtard-Montrachet, both located in Puligny-Montrachet.