2015 Chassagne-Montrachet Village

Colin's white wine production was down 50% from normal in 2016 yet he was able to make all of his cuvées. He harvested early, beginning on September 19, but reported that potential alcohol levels ranged from 13% to 13.5%. The wines were in good condition to taste at the beginning of June, as the malos all finished by the end of 2016 and the most recent sulfur additions had been made in March. Colin told me that he now prefers to age two-thirds of each of his wines in larger barrels and that he likes the 450-liter format.

Colin’s 2015s were rich and expressive at the beginning of June but still showed an element of nervosité. “They’ll be easy to drink while you put the ‘14s aside,” he said.

“Two thousand fifteen will be an easy vintage to drink, while the 2014s are broader-shouldered and more cutting,” said Colin at the beginning of June. He started picking in 2015 at the end of August “to preserve fruit” (his top two cuvées were harvested on August 29), noting that potential alcohol levels were all 13% or higher and that he did not chaptalize. Yields for the premier crus were in the range of 45 to 50 hectoliters per hectare, or roughly the same as in 2014. The alcoholic and malolactic fermentations went quickly in ’15. With the exception of the Puligny-Montrachet Les Demoiselles and the Chevalier-Montrachet, which were in barriques, Colin’s wines were aging in 450- and 500-liter foudres at the time of my tasting. Colin planned to assemble the wines early and keep them in tanks from before the 2016 harvest until bottling next January.