2021 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Perclos

“It was a strange season with the frost and the snow in April when it went down to -5° Celsius,” winemaker Michel Mallard explains. “For the reds, we protected just the Grand Cru reds with 450 candles per hectare. We had the manpower and stock to do this, and they were effective. For the Premier Crus, we had a lot of damage in Brûlées where caterpillars ate the destroyed buds. So we only produced two barrels in the end, whereas in 2022 we will have nine. Afterward, it was cool and wet with some coulure, fresh and humid throughout the summer. We started picking on 17 September with Clos d’Eugénie, entering the vineyard twice before picking to homogenise the ripeness of the reds and take care of botrytis. We found a lot of oïdium and botrytis in Echézeaux. We used 40 people to pick, and it took nine hours for 0.9 hectares.” There has been a distinct uptick in quality at Domaine d’Eugénie in recent years, as if the wines have found their groove. They sport silky veneers and exude purity, whereas in the past, they felt just a bit…manufactured…nowadays, they possess natural charm and beguiling complexities.