Montrachet
By Charles Curtis MW, Decanter Burgundy expert and DWWA Regional Chair for Burgundy
Montrachet grand cru remains an enigma. Without fail, it excels over its peers. Why are the wines so much richer, more complex, more intense – so much better – than even its most illustrious neighbours? The soil is relatively homogenous, composed of thin, brown soil atop a layer of calcium-rich marl underpinned by Bathonian limestone. The vineyard is split almost equally between the Puligny commune in the north and Chassagne in the south.
Montrachet is located right where the Côte begins to turn into the valley that leads up to the Hautes-Côtes. The vines of Montrachet begin facing east-southeast in Puligny, but as one crosses into Chassagne they are facing due south. This means the wines from Chassagne are usually richer and denser than those of Puligny, which can have more racy elegance and finesse.
The wines produced in Chassagne are known as ‘Le Montrachet’, while those of Puligny are known simply as ‘Montrachet’. The vineyard takes its name from the rocky, fallow slopes above Chevalier-Montrachet. This hill, known as Mont Rachez since the 13th century, plays an important role in sheltering the vineyard from adverse weather conditions. The vineyard itself is located at mid-slope, which means that there is a perfect amount of soil (from 0.5m-1.5m), more than Chevalier-Montrachet (which can be slightly severe) above it, and less than Bâtard-Montrachet (which can be a bit heavy) below.
These minor differences are filtered through the lens of a diverse array of winemakers (see box, right). You will find a lengthier explanation of each of the five Montrachet appellations in our in-depth article in the October 2021 issue, or by searching on decanter.com/premium. Whichever Montrachet you choose will likely provide a
remarkable consistency of absolute top quality that confirms Montrachet’s reputation as the nec plus ultra of white wine.
Try:
Bouchard Père et Fils, Montrachet GC 2019 £700 (ib)-£858 Albany Vintners, Hedonism, IG Wines, Millésima Comtes Lafon, Montrachet GC 2018 £2,610£2,800 (ib) Cru, Farr Vintners, Ideal Wine Co, VinQuinn, Wineye
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Montrachet GC 2019 £13,943 (ib)-£19,400 Cru, Hedonism, Turville Valley Wines, Wineye
Drouhin Marquis de Laguiche, Montrachet GC 2018 £608-£625 (ib) Bordeaux Index, Goedhuis & Co
Ramonet, Montrachet GC 2018 £3,400-£3,700 (ib)
Farr Vintners, IG Wines
Name of vineyard Montrachet
(in Puligny); Le Montrachet
(in Chassagne)
Location Côte de Beaune, Côte d’Or, Burgundy, France
Size 8ha (half in Puligny, half in Chassagne)
Altitude 255m-270m
Aspect East-southeast (Puligny); southsoutheast (Chassagne)
Primary soils Marl over limestone
Grape varieties
Chardonnay
Principal owners
Puligny The Marquis de Laguiche (2.06ha, produced with Maison Joseph Drouhin); Bouchard Père et Fils (0.89ha); Domaine Boillereault de Chauvigny (0.80ha, produced with Maison Louis Latour); Domaine Ramonet (0.26ha);
Chassagne Domaine Baron Thenard (1.83ha), Domaine de la Romanée Conti (0.68ha); Domaine
Jacques Prieur (0.59ha); Domaine des Comtes Lafon (0.32ha); Domaine Marc Colin (0.11ha); Domaine Guy Amiot (0.09ha); Domaine Leflaive (0.08ha); Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard (0.08ha); Domaine Blain-Gagnard (0.08ha); Mlle Claudine Petitjean (0.05ha, farmed by Domaine Lamy-Pillot); Domaine d’Eugénie (0.04ha); Domaine FleurotLarose (0.04ha)