Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru 'Morgeot', Philippe Pacalet 2024

Philippe Pacalet is one of Burgundy's most quietly radical figures — a négociant-éleveur who trained under Marcel Lapierre and brings the same natural-wine rigour to white Burgundy that Lapierre applied to Beaujolais. His Chassagne-Montrachet 'Morgeot' comes from one of the appellation's great premier cru sites: a south-southeast-facing slope with limestone-rich soils that give the wine a particular stony, almost saline backbone. Pacalet works without fining, with minimal sulphur, and favours whole-cluster pressing and long, unhurried elevage in old oak. The result is white Burgundy that feels alive rather than polished. "2 barrels. From the heart of the vineyard. Slight reduction on the nose. Rich, generous fruit with good weight on the palate." Nathan Hill, Chairman Philippe was clear that while yields were historically low, the payoff is in the glass. Aromatic clarity, saline finishes and finely judged tannins run through the range, and the wines show real charm already alongside the structure to age. A year where selection mattered enormously, and in Pacalet’s hands, the results are compelling. Philippe Pacalet is one of Tim Atkin's 2024 Top 15 Négociants & Cooperatives .