From a site in the village of Chassagne that's a veritable heat trap comes the 2018 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos des Murées, a fleshy, enveloping, medium to full-bodied wine evocative of pear, white flowers, orange blossom and honeycomb. Céline Gagnard told me that her team couldn't work in this vineyard in the afternoon in 2018 and 2019 as it was simply too warm.

The 2016 Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Clos des Murees perhaps did not quite convey the same complexity as some of its fellow premier crus, upset at losing half the crop to frost. The palate is nicely balanced, pretty but it needs to develop more substance toward the finish. It feels just a little conservative at the moment and I found more potential in some of the domaine's other premier crus.

The 2015 Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Clos des Murées, a monopole of the domaine, is more austere on the nose than the other crus, though there is just a touch of anise developing with time that lends a soup?on of exoticism. The palate is medium-bodied with fine delineation. There is palpable energy here, fanning out gently with a spiciness developing on the finish. One of best wines that I have tasted from this vineyard, this comes highly recommended.

The 2014 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos des Murées, a monopole of the domaine from vines planted in the 1960s, has a gorgeous peachy, yellow flower-scented bouquet that is nicely defined. The palate is clean and nicely poised with fine mineralité, complex with subtle walnut and ginger notes towards the long finish. This is a beautiful Chassagne-Montrachet that will be difficult to resist in its youth, but has the substance to merit bottle age.

The 2013 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos des Murées, a monopole of the domaine, has a crisp, citrus peel and bruised apple-scented bouquet that needs just a little more vigor. The palate is much better with white peach and hints of mango on the entry, commendable weight in the mouth with a dab of spice enlivening the finish. Hopefully, those aromatics will gain vigor with bottle age, hence my optimism about this Chassagne that deserves a couple of years in bottle.