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A gorgeous, lush and energetic white Burgundy, this ’09 shows lots of white fleshy fruit, wet stones, and jaunty acidity. It’s a perfectly balanced wine with sweetness that’s offset by minerality. Classic and charming.

• Country: France
• Region: Burgundy
• Subregion: Cote de Beaune
• Commune/Village: Santenay
• Vineyard: La Comme

It’s one of the most easily overlooked Burgundy estates, though at fifteen hectares it’s large for a family estate. It’s not particularly old for a Burgundy house; the estate dates back only to the eighteenth century, and its current owners, the Cornut family, has owned it since the mid-1950s. However, since the late 1990s when Jean-Pierre Cornut took the estate’s helm, Chateau de la Maltroye has been on a distinct upward trajectory, and the most recent 2009 vintage suggests that the ozone is the limit.

Chateau de la Maltroye is an estate that crafts wines of great beauty and no small bit of wit. The quality of these wines is due in no small part to the assiduous work of their winemaker, Jean-Pierre Cornut. For example, his wines are renowned for their judicious use of oak, but what’s really important is that Jean-Pierre not only uses only the finest oak, he chooses each individual stave of wood that he uses in his barrels. The resulting white wines are just gorgeous—but so too are red Burgundies from the estate. Yes, while this chateau is best known for its whites, it does make world-class reds.

In fact, while Maltroye is best beloved for its white Burgundies, its Chassagne has been called the “Domaine Leflaive of Chassagne,” an impressive compliment indeed and one even more astounding in a year like 2009. Most Burgundy aficionados aren’t aware that Chassagne is planted with over fifty percent red grape vines, primarily but not exclusively Pinot Noir, and Chateau de la Maltroye’s Clos St Jean Rouge might very well be the finest red Chassagne made.  These 1er Cru Chassagne Rouges rival many Volnay and Pommads, which weigh in at two times the price of Maltroye’s wines. For these reasons, we are offering three of Chateau de la Moltroye acclaimed reds in addition to five of the estate’s amazing whites.