Chevalier Montrachet 2012 Domaine Michel Niellon

Professional reviews

Robert Parker (89)

The 2012 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru comes from a 0.23-hectare of vines planted back in 1962 and purchased by Marcel Niellon (Michel’s father) in the 1960s. It has a reticent stony nose, a pale facsimile of the exuberant “beast” shown at Sauzet just a couple of hours earlier. Eventually, it reluctantly offers light beeswax and honeysuckle aromas, but it is bereft of mineralite. The palate is medium-bodied with an attractive opening: dried pineapple and citrus lemon. It unwinds nicely in the mouth and feels long and broad, but what is missing is that race and tension, that mineralite towards the finish.

Winespectator (93)

Leads off with a hint of matchstick, but this creamy, lime-infused white also features oyster shell and mineral elements that accent the core of citrus and stone fruit. Refined and focused, with excellent length.