Domaine Besson Chablis Mont de Milieu Premier Cru 2020

Under $30 for virtually ANY White Burgundy these days is a steal...but when you’re talking 91 points with a bullet-proof, revered Premier Cru site – all fashioned by long-time First Bottle favorite Camille Besson?!?! Add 40% OFF and that’s something special, indeed!

Mont de Milieu stands on a hill that used to mark out a boundary between Burgundy and Champagne. It is a south-facing, steeply sloping vineyard, which is essentially a continuation of the sloping hillside of the Chablis Grands Crus (Les Clos, Valmur, Vaudesir, and more). Besson owns just under 2 acres here, making for one of their smallest production wines. Fourth-generation winemaker, Camille Besson, is the young (but seasoned...we’ve been working with her for years), winemaker behind these much-loved, First Bottle favorites – easily one of our best-ever finds in Chablis! She loves the extremely small berries from this site’s old vines because of the resulting concentration and depth they provide to the finished wine. Here she takes advantage of Chablis’ remarkable 2020 vintage – low-yielding and fresher than the warm harvests of the past few years – and creates remarkably pure expressions of Chablis as a result.

This Premier Cru shows a vibrant friendliness, with mandarin blossoms and honeysuckle on the nose. The flavor profile exhibits a succulent Navel orange character, with hints of guava behind that. Tropical, but in a tart way, without any hint of overt ripeness. There’s a round, creaminess to the wine – with acidity that is soft and discreet. All Chablis’ are known for their food-friendliness – yet this is a rare example that falls into the either/or category. Perfect as a foil to a cheat-meal fried chicken, yet equally suited to a stand-alone glass of vivacious enjoyment on a front porch with friendly conversation. To have such flexibility, when coupled with the prestige of top-flight Chablis – this is an under $30 gem that all should take effort to secure a few bottles.

PAIRING IDEAS: Ever fried a whole snapper? Let’s change that...this “Chinese style” Crispy Red Snapper will be the star of your next dinner party (along with the Chablis of course).