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Domaine Jean Chartron

Jean-Michael Chartron is a winemaker who I have been following for a number of years. His family were part of Chartron & Trebuchet, a brand I used to buy in my formative days of visiting Burgundy in the late 1990s. Looking back, those wines were ordinary fare, and perhaps that reputation lingers. Chartron’s wines are now unquestionably superior to those under Chartron & Trebuchet, and it is only in recent years that he has gained the reputation he deserves. He has also acquired administrative responsibilities as president of the Puligny winegrowers’ association, a vital role in terms of binding domaines together in difficult growing seasons, particularly when coordinated action is required during periods of risk from frost damage, burning bales of hay en masse and getting wind turbines positioned in the correct place.

“We were nearly touched by the frost, but we were safe,” Chartron told me as we tasted together in the winery amongst the stainless steel vats. “It threatened almost the same day as in 2016. There was mild frost pressure in late April, but that was contained. It was four in the morning and I was considering going out to burn bales of straw, but in the end, it wasn’t necessary. We started picking on August 31, and it is very important when you pick, especially with Chardonnay. I can see a lot of differences in the wine depending on when it was harvested. It is nowadays more a 90-day hang time than 100 days, so the challenge is that you have to find the freshness without imparting the bitterness. It was easy to pick too early in 2017. The vinification was normal but with an early malolactic, which is good for the white, partly because of the temperature. The pH levels are good at around 3.30 and 3.35. There was not a huge amount of malic acid but it is more than in 2018. The entry-level wines, including Village Crus, are closed under DIAM but the rest is under natural cork. The white wines already express their terroirs very clearly and they seem relatively accessible. In fact, you could tell where the wines came from blind just after alcohol fermentation.”

Two things I will point out, one from the bottom and one from top of Chartron’s range. Firstly, the quality of the entry-level wines, particularly a wonderful Hautes Côtes de Beaune en Bois de Guillemain that surely will represent outstanding value. Then, at the top of the range, the domaine already boasts an impressive array of monopoles. But to celebrate the centenary of his great-grandfather’s initial purchase, Jean-Michel decided to make special cuvées from the oldest vines within Chevalier-Montrachet Clos des Chevalier, Puligny Clos de la Pucelle and Clos du Cailleret. These will be labeled Cuvée Centenaire. They will not represent the entirety of the oldest plantings, now in their seventh decade. At the moment there are three barrels of each maturing in barrel and ultimately Chartron will choose the best one to produce 100 bottles and 100 magnums of Cuvée Centenaire. The other two barrels will be blended back into the main cuvée. Judging by the samples tasted in barrel, these will definitely be worth tracking down.

From 2017 Burgundy: A Modern Classic (Jan 2019) by Neal Martin

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2017 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

Color: White

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Domaine Jean Chartron

2017 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

2017 Bourgogne Chardonnay Clos de la Combe

2017 Hautes Côtes de Beaune en Bois Guillemain

2017 Chassagne-Montrachet les Benoites

2017 Chevalier-Montrachet Clos de Chevaliers Grand Cru

2017 Chevalier-Montrachet Clos de Chevaliers Cuvée Centenaire Grand Cru

2017 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

2017 Meursault Les Pierres

2017 Montrachet Grand Cru

2017 Pernand-Vergelesses Les Belles Filles

2017 Puligny-Montrachet Clos de la Pucelle 1er Cru

2017 Puligny-Montrachet Clos de la Pucelle Cuvée Centenaire 1er Cru

2017 Puligny-Montrachet Clos du Cailleret 1er Cru

2017 Puligny-Montrachet Clos du Cailleret Cuvée Centenaire 1er Cru

2017 Puligny-Montrachet les Folatières 1er Cru

2017 Puligny-Montrachet Village

2017 Rully Montmorin

2017 Saint-Aubin Les Perrières 1er Cru

2017 Santenay Champ Perrier Blanc

2017 Savigny-lès-Beaune les Pimentiers

2017 Saint-Aubin les Murgers des Dents de Chien 1er Cru

2017 Puligny-Montrachet Clos du Cailleret Rouge 1er Cru

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