Niellon's 1992s are all fat, ripe, concentrated wines. The tightest wines among the 1992s are the Chassagne-Montrachet-Les Vergers and Chevalier-Montrachet. The 1992 Chevalier-Montrachet displays attributes similar to the Chassagne-Montrachet-Les Vergers. Although it is the most expensive wine from the Niellon portfolio, it is not as intense as several of his premier crus, and never as rich as the Batard-Montrachet. It is an outstanding, elegantly-styled 1992.
The 1992s were bottled a month before I saw them, and despite Niellon's belief that they were subdued, I was blown away by most of them. Niellon's perennially low yields are reflected in his wines. Even in lighter years, they possess a superb mid-palate and that unctuous, rich, chewy personality that can only emanate from low yielding Chardonnay vines.
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