Armand Heitz : Chevalier-Montrachet Grand cru 2022

Tasting Notes and Characteristics of Chevalier-Montrachet 2022 by Armand Heitz

Tasting

Nose
The nose unfolds with a rich and layered bouquet, combining notes of almond and grapefruit with delicate linden blossom florality. Hints of ginger add a subtle spiced lift, while touches of caramel bring a warmer, more enveloping dimension to the aromatic profile.

Palate
The palate reveals a complex structure built around what the estate describes as a “delicate power,” where intensity is expressed with restraint rather than force. The texture is ample yet refined, carried by remarkable length and a depth of flavor that lingers well after the wine has been swallowed.

Food and wine pairings
This Chevalier-Montrachet pairs beautifully with salmon tartare and other refined preparations of noble shellfish and crustaceans. It also shows well alongside oysters and other shellfish, as well as with delicate Japanese cuisine, confirming its natural affinity with fine, precise cooking.

Serving and cellaring
Chevalier-Montrachet 2022 is best served at a temperature of around 10 to 12°C. According to the estate, this wine has a cellaring potential of 10 to 20 years, with enjoyment extending to around 2035.

Other characteristics
This is a dry white wine made entirely from chardonnay, with an alcohol content of 12.5% by volume.

Chevalier-Montrachet 2022 by Armand Heitz: a Chardonnay Grand Cru from the Montrachet Hill

The Estate
The Heitz-Lochardet estate, now operating under the Armand Heitz brand, was founded in the early 1980s in Chassagne-Montrachet, Burgundy, following the marriage of Brigitte Lochardet and Christian Heitz. Today it is led by their son, Armand Heitz, a Changins-trained oenologist who took over the property in 2011. Under his direction, the estate has grown into a 230-hectare diversified farm combining vines, grains, livestock, and permaculture, guided by a philosophy of regenerative, minimal-intervention farming.

The Vineyard
The Chevalier-Montrachet grand cru plot sits near the top of the Montrachet hill in Chassagne-Montrachet, on shallow, stony soils that are naturally low in organic matter. Planted in 1952, this tiny parcel of roughly 0.10 hectare yields around 45 hl/ha. Facing the challenge of its thin, water-stressed soils, the estate introduced bark mulching on this plot, which helped the vines regain vigor and shift away from their previously early ripening pattern, all within a farming approach Armand Heitz describes as rooted in agronomic common sense.

The Vintage
The 2022 growing season in Burgundy was marked by notable heat and dryness. Between April 1 and September 30, the average temperature reached 19.2°C, well above the regional norm of 16.4°C, while rainfall from January to September totaled only 364 mm, a deficit of 160 mm compared to average. To cope with this water stress, the estate removed permanent cover crops on certain plots during the growing season, reintroducing them in autumn once conditions eased. On the Chevalier-Montrachet parcel specifically, the bark mulch trial proved effective in helping the vine withstand the dry, hot conditions.

Winemaking and aging
For Chevalier-Montrachet 2022, grapes are hand-harvested in small crates and whole-cluster pressed before the must is left to settle for twelve to twenty-four hours. Fermentation begins in tank and is completed in barrel, with the wine aged for about eleven months using 20 to 40% new oak. The approach throughout favors minimal intervention, with adjustments guided primarily by regular tasting rather than fixed protocols.

Grape Varieties
This wine is produced from 100% chardonnay.