France · Burgundy

Domaine Michel Niellon

Michel Niellon was one of the pivotal figures in establishing Chassagne-Montrachet's reputation for world-class white Burgundy, farming approximately 8 hectares from the 1970s until his death in 2015, after which the domaine passed to his nephews Bertrand and Sébastien Fontaine. Niellon's parcels included exceptional holdings in both Chevalier-Montrachet and Batard-Montrachet grand crus, as well as premier crus Les Champs Gain, Les Vergers, and the monopole Clos de la Truffière. The winemaking under Michel was conservative and terroir-faithful: whole-cluster pressing, indigenous yeasts, aging in 30–40% new oak, and bottling without excessive fining. The Chevalier-Montrachet averages $564 per bottle across 96 auction lots — one of Burgundy's most reliably excellent Chevalier parcels — while the Batard averages $543 across 59 lots. Both grand crus have peaked above $2,000 per bottle for top vintages in pristine provenance. The Clos de la Truffière, a Chassagne premier cru monopole, averages $112 across 58 lots and represents exceptional village-level value given its quality consistency and guaranteed provenance from a single grower. The 2016 vintage of Chevalier is the most traded year, while 2015 dominates the Batard lots. Total portfolio activity of 291 lots averaging $344 places Niellon among Burgundy's most actively traded domaines, with demand consistently outpacing modest annual production.