REMs Murmur: The Greatest Debut White I've Ever Tasted - 1er Cru Chassagne "Abbaye de Morgeot"

"Abbaye de Morgeot"
 - A Burg Geek's Dream of a Vineyard
 - Only a Handful of Growers Including Ramonet and PYCM
 - Rare: Only One OtherWine on the US Market (2x Our Price) 
 - Rich, Nutty Wines of Incredible Energy and Minerality

2016 Pierrick Bouley Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru "Abbaye de Morgeot"
 - Only 546 Bottles Made
 - Elite Level White Burgundy from Elite Level Terroir
 - Blind, Will Hold Its Own with Niellon and Ramonet
 - The Nose: Huge High Toned Mineral and Floral Aspects
 - A Memory of Nature: The smell of a plush field after a storm which makes the air so crisp and so clean that you cannot breathe in enough of it.
 - Juicy and Explodes with Complex Tiny Mineral Periodic Table Level Complexity
 - The Ultimate Burgundy Geek/Collector Wine 

REM's Murmur was one of the most historic debut albums in the history of rock.  It notonly established R.E.M as one of the most important new bands in the States (with a distinct, incredible sound) but it was a reference point for alternative rock. It didn't sell as many albums as one would think and that will certainly be the case for today's wine (only 546 bottles were made and I only have a few) but it was a stunning work for a first album.  Alternative rock lovers will, of course know "Radio Free Europe" and "Talk About the Passion."  Will today's offer have this much lasting impact on the wine world as Murmur did on rock?  I doubt it even though it will put Pierrick on the "Great White Burgundy Producers" map for the lucky few who get a bottle.  But the wine is utterly amazing and heck, it's fun to talk about R.E.M and listen to "Radio Free Europe" on a late summer Saturday in August.

This year when I visited Pierrick Bouley it was a year of changes for him personally and for the estate. He has renamed the estate from his father's name, Pascal Bouley, to his own name for export, and then in personal news his wife gave birth to a baby girl on Valentine's Day. Pierrick is now firmly in charge of the estate and has rebranded it in his vision. We all know by now that he makes incredible reds that Neal Martin just recently said were in the same vein as Michel Lafarge. High praise indeed, and when I was Facebook messaging with Pierrick the other week he was beaming with pride.

Now let's rewind to my visit. We finished with the 2016 Volnay Clos du Chenes out of barrel and we chatted for a bit and I started to wrap it up to head to my next appointment. Pierrick said there is one more wine to taste. I was dreaming of some reserve Clos du Chenes or something but he said no it's not that. He said he's got a white. I was like no way! I could not even imagine what a Pierrick Bouley white would taste like. But there's more. It's his most expensive wine and it comes from one of he rarest terroirs in all of Burgundy.

Abbaye de Morgeot
Burgundy is the wine of "kings."  Today, it is without a doubt the reference point for great wines. 
And what I love about it is the sheer focus on terroir.  The differences between the various villages and vineyards.  And how the wines taste just that little bit different and the ways that different growers express thosse differences.  I'm so thrilled to offer a wine from one of my favorite vineyards that is hardly ever seen here in the States.  Abbaye de Morgeot is a small enclave within Morgeot that is very rare and only a handful of growers including Ramonet and PYCM work with this Cru.  It has similar soils to Morgeot. Clay limestone mostly with some gravel which provides terrific drainage. Because of its rarity it can command some of the highest prices in all of Chassagne Montrachet. It makes rich, nutty wines of incredible energy and minerality. Just dynamic. The only other '16 I saw was PYCM's version for $165 a bottle.

The 2016 Pierrick Bouley Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru "Abbaye de Morgeot" can be had today for $85.99 a bottle on a 3-Pack. He only made 546 bottles and I have not many of them. The wine is off the charts, jaw dropping great.


The nose is immediately something special with huge high toned mineral and floral aspects. It's so pure, so clean and so mineral. It's one of the white burgundies that is so good it smells like a scene in nature rather than a wine. A plush field after a rain with which makes the air so crisp and so clean that you cannot breathe enough in and smell it enough. That is the nose of this wine. It's amazing. I had no idea what to expect. This is elite level white Burgundy from elite level terroir. The palate is so so good. Elite level minerality here. So so juicy and clean. This is such a damn clean wine but still is authentic and old school as it gets. It's such an exercise in how great a mineral dominant white Burgundy can be from elite terroir. The minerality is sick yet it's round, but also has really intense acids that bring about the most complex and juicy finish you can imagine. In a blind lineup of Niellon/Ramonet and this, this is right there and can hold its own. It's exceptional wine. It has that class and majesty that make you stop. It's so, so juicy and explodes with complex tiny mineral periodic table level complexity. So many different little rocks and stones. The finish is so pure and long and dissipates perfectly. Little to no fruit at this young stage but there is an embryonic core that will take form. I think this is a 20 year wine. It's so utterly delicious and beyond pure. Rookie of the Year. No contest. What a debut. This will be allocated now and probably in the future. This was bottled in November 2017.

2016 Pierrick Bouley Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru "Abbaye de Morgeot" - $87.99 ($257.97 3-pack) (VERY LIMITED)