Simon Colin Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Vergers

Simon Colin launched his micro-négociant label in 2017 at age 24 — before inheriting 9.3 hectares of family vines in 2021 — as a deliberate act of stylistic separation from his father Philippe Colin's generation, training instead at Domaine Étienne Sauzet in Puligny and completing a harvest in Oregon before returning to Chassagne. Les Vergers sits mid-slope in Chassagne-Montrachet's Premier Cru belt, where the chalky brown limestone of the upper slope gives way to slightly heavier clay content, lending the wine more textural weight than the cooler, more mineral Les Chaumées above it. Fermentation and aging proceed in a mix of 228L barrique and 350L demi-muids using indigenous yeasts, with predominantly used/older wood and approximately 12 months in barrel followed by 3–4 months in tank before bottling on natural cork — a regime that keeps fruit primary and terroir unobscured. The 2022 vintage's warmth and generosity are channelled through Simon's restraint-first philosophy: where peers in Chassagne lean into new oak and richness, he deliberately suppresses both, producing a mid-slope Premier Cru with citrus, honeycomb, and hazelnut character anchored by the clay-limestone's structural grip. Drinking well now through 2033+.