2020 Domaine Bachelet-Monnot Maranges 1er Cru Les Boutieres

2020 in Burgundy - frost, hail but after this misery a beautiful season so defacto - low yield, high quality, solid price. As far as we are concerned, the Bachelet-Monnot Maranges Les Boutieres 1er Cru is a kind of exception to this. The Chardonnay vineyard borders Santenay 1er Cru Clos Rousseau and is only a very small clos (walled vineyard) planted with old 90+ year old vines located on a red clay and chalk soil. 70% of the bunches are destemmed and the rest ferments as a whole cluster with its native yeast and then the wines mature in barriques of which 20% new French oak. This is a textbook example of Elegance. Nothing too much or too little. Beautiful fresh fruit with a hint of citrus, yellow and green apple, some spiciness and a hint of vanilla. Round in the mouth, medium-bodied with a perfect integration of the fruit, the alcohol and the acids and all this at a very acceptable price in Burgundy terms.

Domaine Bachelet-Monnot

The Bachelet family is very well known in the Côte d'Or, they own plots on some of the most famous vineyards in Burgundy. Nevertheless, the family had some disagreements about the way things were going on at the estate. The youngest generation, brothers Marc and Alex, did not panic and studied viticulture at university and did internships elsewhere in France and America. When they returned to Burgundy, their grandfather decided not to give parts of his land to his own sons, but to his two grandsons. From day one, both boys threw themselves into their new work with great dedication. 2005 was the first harvest year that Marc and Alex Bachelet worked independently. The gentlemen have in common that they are both enormous perfectionists and also very eager to learn. They continuously try to improve and perfect things at the estate and with every visit things have changed, from the size of the barrels, the duration of the maturation, to the temperature of the cellar. In addition to the great wines they make in the prestigious villages of Puligny and Chassagne, Marc and Alexandre Bachelet also make exemplary wines in Maranges and Santenay.