Chevalier Montrachet Demoiselles, Louis Jadot 2020

The king of the cellar on the white side of the ledger is the 2020 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru Les Demoiselles (Domaine des Héritiers Jadot), a striking wine that unfurls in the glass with notes of citrus oil, white flowers, buttered popcorn, chalky soil tones, beeswax and spices. Full-bodied, multidimensional and layered, it's muscular and concentrated, with racy acids, an abundance of structuring dry extract and a long, resonant finish. It is worth a special effort to seek out.

A pale colour with a lively reflection. The nose shows an elegance which was not to be found, nor expected, in the Bâtard. Pure white fruit with a light vanilla overlay, a bouquet suggesting medium plus body, all with discretion. This is classical Chevalier in its purity, effortless intensity with no seeming weight, then a very finely chiselled mineral acidity to finish. As so often with 2020 whites there is intensity without any feeling of alcohol or undue weight. Tasted: November 2021

Pale lemon in colour. Very fragrant, yet taut and stony on the nose. Layers of lemon oil, struck flint and riper fruit curd come through together. The palate is just as tight, with sharply defined edges and crystalline fruit, the acidity cuts a steely form through the palate. This is a frame around which pure, fine citrus and seductive spices are built. This is a wine in sync, with structure and fruit flowing in tandem. The expansive finish hints at the real potential to this wine. It deserves patience before approaching.