The Story
Everyone forgets that Chassagne-Montrachet makes red, and not so long ago red was mostly what it made. Clos Saint-Jean is the premier cru on the northern edge of the village that has always suited Pinot Noir better than Chardonnay, and Chateau de la Maltroye is one of the estates that kept that tradition going. 1990 was one of the great Burgundy vintages of the modern era: ripe, structured, built for the long haul. Thirty-five years on, this is fully mature, with dried cherry and rose petal, mushroom, leather and sweet earth, and tannins that melted away years ago. A bottle this old is a conversation with the past. Decant it gently, don't over-chill it, and finish it the night you open it.
Description
Everyone forgets that Chassagne-Montrachet makes red, and not so long ago red was mostly what it made. Clos Saint-Jean is the premier cru on the northern edge of the village that has always suited Pinot Noir better than Chardonnay, and Chateau de la Maltroye is one of the estates that kept that tradition going. 1990 was one of the great Burgundy vintages of the modern era: ripe, structured, built for the long haul. Thirty-five years on, this is fully mature, with dried cherry and rose petal, mushroom, leather and sweet earth, and tannins that melted away years ago. A bottle this old is a conversation with the past. Decant it gently, don't over-chill it, and finish it the night you open it.
