Chassagne Montrachet 1er cru Les Embrazées by Domaine Thomas Morey 2019

Chassagne-Montrachet is home to some of the most talented winemaking families in the world and one of the most important is the Morey family who have lived in the village since 1643. Thomas Morey grew up working for his grandfather Albert and then for his father Bernard, before he and his brother Vincent divided their portion of the family holdings in time for the 2007 vintage. This left Thomas with nine hectares of vines that he knows intimately, predominantly in Chassagne but with parcels in Beaune, Puligny, Santenay and Saint-Aubin.

The style of Thomas’ wines is characterised by precision and genuine terroir definition, whilst retaining the weight and presence of Chassagne-Montrachet. He makes six different Premier Crus from the village, each with a distinct personality. The white wines are fermented and aged for at least twelve months in barrel, while the red wines follow a relatively soft vinification (warm fermentation temperatures and limited punching down) in order to maintain a supple texture and avoid over-extraction. They spend twelve months in oak (50% new) before bottling.

Thomas is a great believer in rigorous work in the vineyard, pruning hard to keep yields low and avoid the need for a ‘green harvest’. He is one of Burgundy’s most fastidious and talented viticulturalists, a reputation that has led to him being employed by the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti to look after their vines in Le Montrachet Grand Cru.