2013 Thomas Morey Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge Vieilles Vignes

Thomas Morey is a 10th-generation member of the Morey family of Chassagne, in Burgundy. He is the son of winemaker Bernard Morey, and his brother is Vincent Morey. In 2006 the domaine was split between the two brothers and Thomas now controls 23 acres mostly in Chassange-Montrachet, though there are also parcels in Maranges, Santenay, Saint-Aubin, Puligny-Montrachet and Beaune. The domaine produces red and white wines, though it is known mostly for its chardonnays, which include the Grand Cru Batard-Montrachet. There are several Premier Cru Chassagne-Montrachets, and white Premier Crus from Beaune and Saint-Aubin. Thomas Morey’s red wines include Premier Crus from Maranges, Santenay and Beaune. Thomas Morey's first release was the 2007 vintage.

Chassagne-Montrachet is the appellation that covers the communes of Chassagne-Montrachet and Remigny, and it is the southern-most of the Côte d’Or’s three great white wine appellations of Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet. With 1,200 acres of vineyards, it is one of the largest appellations in the region, and more than half the vineyard acreage is Grand Cru or Premier Cru. The three famous Grand Crus are Le Montrachet, Bâtard-Montrachet and Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet. There are also 16 main Premiers Crus, most of them considered very high quality, and village wines. One fact rarely noted is that historically the appellation produced more red than white wine. In the late 1990s the ratio of white to red wines changed, however, as more vineyards were converted from Pinot Noir to Chardonnay, a logical decision given the acclaim of the appellation’s whites. There are still intriguing red wines produced. Clive Coates wrote that the appellation’s white wines generally are “full and firm, more akin to Puligny than to the softer, rounder wines of Meursault.”

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.