2021 Chateau de la Maltroye Chas.-Mtr. 1er Cru La Dent de Chien

France / Burgundy / Cote de Beaune / Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Blanc
 
Allocation:
Email sales@greenwoodfinewine.dk for allocation information.

Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Dent de Chien from Château de la Maltroye.
 
Burghound.com/Allen Meadows tasting notes 95/100 + "Don't miss" + "Outstanding": "A cool, pure, and airy array is composed by notes of green apple, white flowers, and plenty of citrus elements along with pretty spice wisps. Once again there is excellent cut, punch, and an almost aggressive minerality to the dense medium weight navors that display excellent power on the superbly long finish that is also quite compact if not quite as linear. This is also stunningly good and highly recommended".
 
Dent de Chien is a tiny 1er Cru lieu-dit located in the Chassagne-Montrachet appellation of the Côte de Beaune subregion of Burgundy. The vineyard is planted on a corner of land between the Montrachet Grand Cru climat below and the scrubland above, and, like its famous neighbor, is planted to Chardonnay. 

The vineyard's curious name, Dent de Chien, is a reference to the rock that underpins the site. Meaning "dog's tooth", the name evokes the jagged stones that jut out of the land here, in stark contrast to the smooth pebbles of the surrounding vineyards.

The Dent de Chien site is actually made up of three small plots on the western corner of Le Montrachet, at the base of the hill spur between the east-facing Côte d'Or slope and the roughly south-facing slopes of Saint-Aubin. The latter's border lies just over 100m west of Dent de Chien.
The three plots combined cover only 0.6ha and, while the site is undoubtedly stony, it has much common with its illustrious Grand Cru neighbor to the east, sharing something of a similar aspect and overall soil-type.

Dent de Chien should not be confused with the Murgers des Dents de Chien site, which is a way up the spur (on the Mont-Rachet hill) in Saint-Aubin. Despite being one of Chassagne-Montrachet's smallest 1er Cru vineyards, its favorable position and soils generally produce a highly-regarded – if somewhat rare – 1er Cru Chassagne-Montrachet. A regard only further enhanced by its illustrious neighbour.