Prieur Brunet Morgeot 2004 Chassagne Montrachet

Morgeot is cumulatively the largest Premier Cru vineyard in Chassagne-Montrachet, encompassing a large number of other Premier Cru climats at the southern end of the appellation. The vineyards that make up the title lie on the lower slopes of the Côte d’Or escarpment, above the D113a road as it winds its way towards Santenay.

Overall, Morgeot covers just over 58 hectares (143 acres) across some 20 lieux-dits. As an umbrella title, producers can choose to label their wines either as the individual vineyard title itself or adopt the perhaps better-known “Morgeot” name.

In some cases, grapes from more than one vineyard in Morgeot can be blended together and bottled as “Morgeot”.

Morgeot is situated near – and named for – the Abbaye de Morgeot at the southern end of the village. “Morgeot” is thought to come from the Latin for boundary, as this vineyard lies on the edge of the Côte-d’Or administrative department, on the border of Saône-et-Loire.

The terroir in Morgeot is generally held to be more suited to red wine, as it is made up of a heavier clay-gravel mix than the climats further up the hill. Based on Bathonian limestone, it is free-draining and helps to encourage deep root growth to access mineral-laden water deeper in the ground.

As can be inferred from this, the higher climats, such as Tête du Clos and the upper sections of Les Petits Clos and Fairendes all have the potential to produce high-quality white wines as well.

Morgeot covers the land almost at the base of the Côte d’Or slope – there is only a slight decline toward the southeast, facing vines toward the morning sun. This is enough of an aspect to give an advantage over the village-level land below, and the vineyard is not as affected by cooler night temperatures as higher up the hill.

Morgeot is one of the more frequently heard names among the Premier Crus of Chassagne-Montrachet.