Community Tasting Note

• csimm wrote: 94 points

  December 12, 2021 - Yellow and green pear, lemon verbena, yellow and green citrus, yellow apple skin, chalk, and white flower notes jump from the glass with well executed tension and verve. There is decent power here on the front end, but it finds focus midway through and darts off to a zippy saline-meets-Squirt finish. This is quintessential Michel Niellon, with an uptick in juicy acidity; this carries characteristic Chassagne-Montrachet power and push as well. There is some angularity and youthfully restricted fruit expansion, so the full compliment of this wine is still somewhat primary. However, the stuffing is quite compelling. Though this likely needs 4-5+ years to start finding its true form, I probably won't be waiting around too long given the premox issues that often afflict this producer. Sealed with natural cork. 93-94 points.

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4 Comments

• JohnnyBark commented:

  3/15/22, 9:09 AM - I did not realize there was a premox issue with Niellon. Probably need to re-address my 17 and 18’s. Btw, I think you’ve made a note for every botte I own or look at buying. (Insert 90’s movie slow-clap, ending in rave cheers)

• csimm commented:

  3/15/22, 10:01 AM - Nice JohnnyBark! Ya, Niellon (and also Germain) have especially been prone to premox, and though I love their wines when they are firing right, I've had hit/miss even with recent vintages (17/18) on varying levels of wet dog infiltration. And that whole, "As long as you drink them within 7 years from bottling, then they won't show premox that early" thing is bunk. Also, those producers don't utilize DIAM (which I'm a huge proponent of), so that's a bummer. I'll still buy a bottle or two from these producers in good vintages here and there if I trust the source/importer, but I've shifted the majority of my recent purchases/holdings in the white Burg world to those who only seal with DIAM. I know that's pretty limiting in some regards, but it's either that or keep pumping money into newspaper water. It doesn't rain phat dough at my house, so I can't just take a 35% cut off the top for would-be premox fails with every third bottle. My 2 cents at least on all that. Buyer beware is the best advice I can give based on my experience over the last decade with Niellon wines.

• JohnnyBark commented:

  3/15/22, 8:44 PM - I can’t agree with you more. I’m a huge fan of the DIam corks. It’s foolish at this point in the wine world to accept “oh that’s the risk you take” mentality. I don’t appreciate newspaper water for the sake of purity of production. I want a return on my investment which is a happy face emoji when I pour, not the frown emoji with steamy snot coming out of the emoji nose. Great input as always, I highly appreciate your notes.

• csimm commented:

  3/15/22, 10:18 PM - ...steamy snot nose emoji hahaha! Appreciate your insight! Here’s hoping the Niellon you may have in your cellar all perform as advertised!

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