Domaine Coffinet-Duvernay, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru (Burgundy, France) Les Blanchots Dessus 2014

($104, Esprit du Vin):  Les Blanchots Dessus (upper Blanchots; note the slight difference in spelling and, at least according to the French, but not this Anglophone, an enormous difference in pronunciation) comprises the upper part of the Blanchots vineyard and lies immediately to the south and adjacent to the Grand Cru vineyard, Le Montrachet.  The exposure of Les Blanchots Dessus, while superior to its lower half, still qualifies it only for Premier Cru status despite its neighbor.  While the difference in pronunciation may be subtle to some of us, the difference between Les Blanchots Dessus and Dessous is obvious.  Les Blanchots Dessus is just better–a touch more powerful, but mostly its grandeur lies in better definition, more elegance and a greater length.  Tasting them side-by-side demonstrates that someone knew where to draw the line in that vineyard, separating village wine from premier cru. 94 Michael Apstein Oct 11, 2016