Domaine Bouard-Bonnefoy Chassagne-Montrachet 1er cru La Maltroie 2022

The famous saying "wine is made in the vineyard" certainly applies to the exquisite wines of the small family-owned Bouard-Bonnefoy winery. The quality of their grapes is so sublime that they are proud to be suppliers of none other than Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, one of Burgundy's elite producers.

From a small portion of their grapes, Fabrice Bouard and his daughter Clara, who also interned with Pierre-Yves, make their own beautiful, pure white Burgundies. The majority of the family's vineyards are located in Chassagne-Montrachet, making this the house's specialty.

The Chardonnay grapes for this special cuvée come from the premier cru vineyard Les Chenevottes, on the border with Saint-Aubin. The soil there—a mix of limestone, clay, and marl—is relatively fertile. This translates into a rich, ripe Chassagne style.

After being harvested by hand and pressed in an old-fashioned, vertical wooden press, the wine ferments with natural yeasts in oak barrels. A year of barrel aging follows, with occasional light bâtonnage, or stirring of the yeasts.

This creates an impressive Chassagne with notes of citrus, ripe stone fruit, butter, toast, and minerality, a silky texture, and a long finish. A truly gastronomic wine, paired with roasted chicken or a creamy fish dish, for example.