The 2022 Maison Henri Gouges Montagny Premier Cru is a vibrant 100% Chardonnay from Montagny Premier Cru in Burgundy's Côte Chalonnaise, produced under the Maison Henri Gouges label by the historic Nuits-Saint-Georges family. Montagny is devoted exclusively to white Burgundy and is particularly well suited to Chardonnay, with its rolling, well-exposed vineyards and limestone-clay soils producing wines known for freshness, citrus fruit and mineral character. Unlike the domaine's estate wines in Nuits-Saint-Georges, this 2022 was produced through the family's Maison négociant project, using purchased grapes. Interestingly, from 2023 onward these same Montagny vines began being exploited by Grégory and Antoine Gouges under their separate CAVEA project, making the 2022 one of the final releases under the Maison Henri Gouges name.
At 13% alcohol, the 2022 is fresh and approachable, showing lemon and citrus peel alongside green apple, pear and white orchard fruit, with subtle floral notes and a gentle limestone character underneath. The palate is crisp yet smooth, with the naturally generous fruit of the 2022 Burgundy vintage balanced by refreshing acidity and a clean, mineral finish. The official importer describes the wine as lively and fruity, with citrus and orchard-fruit flavours and an easy, polished texture. I could not find a sufficiently reliable major-critic numerical score for this exact 2022 bottling, so I would rather leave ratings out than attribute a score from another Henri Gouges wine.
