What happens when you grant one of the greatest winemakers in Burgundy access to one of the most fabulous Chardonnay vineyards on earth? BOOM!

La Revue du Vin de France has Jean-Pierre Confuron (of his cult status family Domaine Confuron-Cotetidot) on a short list of the best of the best alongside Aubert de Villaine of Domaine de la Romanée Conti and Lalou Bize-Leroy of Domaine Leroy. After all, Burghound, one of the toughest critics who specialize in Burgundy rarely raves “I was knocked out by the quality I found here” about the winemaking skills at anyone’s Domaine. Confuron’s mastery is elevating Chanson to new levels too.

LES CLOS people! ‘Montrachet’ of Chablis. By a long mile the choicest terroir, arguably the most distinctive stretch of Chardonnay anywhere on the planet.

Vinous articulately explains what sets it apart: “The soil in Les Clos yields wines with density and fullness, but the marl also brings powerful minerality and finishing firmness to the wines, especially where the soil features a high calcium carbonate content in the clay. Through the years, successful bottlings of Clos have struck me as combining the best traits of Montrachet and Corton-Charlemagne. That’s high praise, I know, but hardly an exaggeration—at least when it comes to wines from the finest estates. In the context of other Chablis crus, Les Clos delivers an unmatched combination of aromatic complexity, power, depth, mineral cut, and longevity. He is particularly slow to reveal its full personality.”

Renowned scientist and Burgundy expert Jamie Goode reported just last month “Chanson was founded in 1750, and still occupies their original home, although they added a new gravity-fed winery in Savigny-lès-Beaune in 2010. They are a Bourgogne negociant doing things the right way. They were purchased by Bollinger in 1999. I visited with celebrated winemaker Jean-Pierre Confuron. ‘I don’t like the term negociant,’ he says because his view is that they behave like a Domaine… ‘My job is to respect the originality of each territory,’ says Confuron… I was impressed by these wines.”

It’s by Champagne Bollinger’s sister winery nonetheless… originally a $120 wine and rightfully so, yet SOMEHOW we were able to get this at 40% off for ya. Too bad there’s too little to be had…

94 Points – Wine Anorak

“Assertive nose of lime and minerals. Textured, with a mineral streak to the ripe pear fruit with some spice. Lovely.”