The 2015 Chassagne Montrachet les Encegnieres was matured in 20% new oak with 30% aged in foudres. It offers quite a complex array of scents: citrus peel, oyster shell, wet granite and a subtle fumé-like aroma. It seemed relatively mercurial in the glass compared to its peers. The palate is very well balanced with fine acidity, good body and depth here with fine tension and energy displayed on the finish. This should become a very satisfying Chassagne-Montrachet punching at premier cru quality.

The 2014 Chassagne-Montrachet Encégnières has a flattering nose with tropical aromas combining nicely with the citrus fruit, touches of lemon sorbet and yellow plum emerging in the glass. The palate is fresh and poised on the entry, demonstrating fine weight in the mouth and delivering quite a powerful, complex finish of orange zest and lemongrass. There is a pizzazz about this Chassagne that delivers premier cru quality. Superb.

The 2013 Chassagne-Montrachet les Encegnieres, which has a little more new wood than Colin’s other premier crus albeit only at 20%, offers a expressive honeycomb and apricot scents on the bouquet that delivers intensity if not quite the complexity of its fellow premier crus. The palate is comparatively richer in style with lightly honeyed fruit married with good acidity, leading to a weighty finish with plenty of "roundeur." Flattering in style, I would drink this over the next 5 or 6 years.

The 2012 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Enseignieres (yes, for some inexplicable reason the spelling changes as it crosses the boundary?why?why???) has a very pretty bouquet with scents of tangerine, apricot, lemon curd and orange zest. The palate is nicely balanced, rounded in texture, perhaps just missing a little tension on the finish, but this packed full of tropical fruit that lends this weight and presence. It will surely age but I cannot help but think I would prefer savoring this in its flush of youth. This domaine was one of my regular ports of call when visiting Burgundy and that does not change now. It was a pleasure to meet Damien Colin again. He runs the winery in the village of Gamay (what came first, village or grape?) with his brother Joseph who works mainly in the vineyard and Caroline more on the “admin” side. Their elder brother, Pierre-Yves can be found over in Chassagne having set up on his own after the 2005 vintage. I have always liked these wines for their straightforwardness, their direct approach. There is no messing about here: just simple winemaking tenets applied throughout their diverse portfolio at the heart of which lie several choice premier cru vineyards in Saint Aubin. In recent vintages there has been a concerted effort to replicate the wines of their father with slightly earlier picking to capture acidity as well as minimal batonnage and I think they do that well. These wines might not offer the fireworks that Pierre-Yves manages to conjure, but there is something “true” about them that I always like. Damien repeated the oft-heard tales of woe that beset vignerons during the growing season, which severely impacted his grand crus. The harvesters trooped into the vineyard on 19 September. “I never harvested such ripe grapes at those acidity levels,” remarked Damian, with most wines coming in at around 12.5%. Unfortunately, yields across the board were 50% down and both their Batard-Montrachet and Montrachet were reduced down to a half-barrel each. The sensitive nature of the vinification meant that I did not taste them. The application of new oak is prudent, this year nearly all the premier crus furnished with 15% new wood. Importer: no known importer in the United States, though available through most UK merchants.

(GOOD VALUE CHOICE) Closed on the nose, but the palate is fresh and lively, juicy but compact, with marked earthy mineral tones, and quite good length.