Niellon's 1991s are special wines. He makes no bones about saying that much of his low-yielding vineyards were harvested before the rains. The yields in 1991 were a minuscule 20-25 hectoliters per hectare. The top wine in 1991 is no surprise. It is the Batard-Montrachet (only 3 barrels, or 75 cases, were produced). It is the fattest and richest wine with the longest finish. Large-scaled, alcoholic, and sensationally perfumed, it is loaded with extraction. Drink it over the next 7-8 years.
Michel Niellon is among the top half dozen white burgundy producers. He consistently turns out brilliant, frequently awesome wines from his tiny domaine of 12.5 acres. In terms of decadence and complexity, Niellon is at the top of my personal shopping list. He fashioned terrific 1992s and 1991s.
Importer: Chateau and Estates, New York, NY