2005 Michel Morey-Coffinet - Chassagne-Montrachet Les Farendes 1er Cru Chardonnay - France - Burgundy - Cote de Beaune - Chassagne Montrachet - White - Premier Cru

Clear Golden in hue with slight rim variation. Clean developing bouquet of green apple grapefruit pith and white minerals. Palate is dry with medium plus acid, no perceptible tannins, medium bodied honeyed citrus, apple and creamy with hints of woodiness. A beautifully balanced white Burgundy, a definite favorite.

The '05 Farendes is a beautiful white Burgundy that deftly balances keen acidity with rich stone fruits flavors. The wine has a pale gold core with a water-white rim. The intensity of the bouquet is beguiling revealing evident creaminess, white blossoms, and peach. On the palate the wine is mouth-coating with delicious rich flavors including baked apple, pear, apricot, Meyer lemon, and honey. I loved the combination of minerality and autolytic flavors such as biscuit and toast. This reminds me of some of my favorite Champagnes. The Farendes will pair wonderfully with seafood or poultry and continue to improve over the next five to ten years. Very tasty.

A markedly different wine than the 05 Les Caillerets bottling from the same producer, despite the vineyards being adjacent (Farendes being at a lower elevation towards the valley floor). A lovely gold color with a slightly greenish hue, the nose dances around in the glass with sweet citronella, crushed oyster shells, and waxy keffir lime. No sharpness or edginess on this one at all - pure, soft, lemon creaminess. The mouthfeel is round and the wanging minerality on the tongue is followed by tangerine cream, sugared grapefruit pith and a long toasted-hazelnut finish. This is what great white Burgundy should be.