2019 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Houillères, Olivier Leflaive Frères
This village parcel is in the north of the commune, bordering Puligny-Montrachet. If you turn your gaze up the hill, you’ll notice it is spitting distance from Bâtard-Montrachet, with only the thin sliver of Vide Bourse 1er Cru separating them. The soil is slightly more humid here, which is no bad thing in a warm year like 2019 to help guard the vines against the drought conditions. It is quintessentially Chassagne in style: firmly structured, with a saline, savoury, nutty palate. But its Puligny proximity peaks through in that refined, steely finish. More than an average village wine, yet pleasingly, still priced as such.