2017 Montrachet Grand Cru (M)

"A classic vintage but not really a year of sunshine: the wines are pure, fresh and energetic," said Henri Boillot about his 2017 whites at the beginning of June. He picked his Chardonnay between August 27 and September 1 with potential alcohol levels typically around 12.5% and chaptalized to around 13%. This is a sufficiently high octane level for Boillot, who notes that "at 14% you can't have fresh Chardonnay."

The malos finished by mid-March and Boillot noted that the wines were “in a quiet phase of their élevage" at the time of my visit. Acidity levels were generally between 4.2 and 4.5 grams per liter, with pHs around 3.19 or 3.2, which Boillot described as a good balance. He planned to rack the ‘17s in mid-August and bottle them in December.

Boillot now uses a maximum of 50% new oak for his premier crus (and a bit more for his grand crus) but emphasized that because he ages his wines almost exclusively in 350-liter barrels, “that’s really more like 35%.” He feels that the '17s have superb structure to age well but will also give pleasure early.