The 7 Best Wines From Montrachet, the Epicenter of White Burgundy
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We have cycled between the vineyards of Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet many times and although they’re only a few miles apart, once you get a flat tire and realize the rental shop didn’t provide you with a spare tube or a patch kit walking the distance in clunky bike shoes can be an unpleasant task. Thankfully on one unfortunate visit Puligny had a town cooperative with plenty of wine to drink and a phone number for a man with a van to return us and our bicycles to our hotel in Beaune.
We believe, as do many of our colleagues, that the most perfect expression of the Chardonnay grape occurs in these two Burgundian villages. The vines are planted in limestone, marl, and clay soils and are situated with eastern and southeastern exposures at altitudes of 750 to 1,000 feet so grapes mature perfectly with the right balance of sugars, acid, and minerality.
While the growing conditions are very similar, we find that wines made from grapes grown in Chassagne-Montrachet can have more tropical flavors such as mango, guava, and pineapple while those made from Puligny-Montrachet fruit tend to be crisper, with bolder acidity and minerality. Both are located in Burgundy’s Côte de Beaune with Puligny just slightly north of Chassagne. Puligny is known only for its Chardonnay plantings while Chassagne has a fair number of Pinot Noir vines planted alongside Chardonnay. We’ve visited (and cycled) through these towns dozens of times and recently opened current bottlings to pick seven we found exemplary from the region.
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Domaine Louis Latour 2022 Chassagne-Montrachet Blanc Cote de Beaune Burgundy
Louis Latour is one of the best known negociant growers in Burgundy and all of the wines made from their own grapes are made in their Chateau Corton Grancey winery in Aloxe-Corton. Besides being one of the oldest purpose-built wineries it also houses an amazing railway system complete with elevators to facilitate gravity assisted winemaking. Louis Latour’s 2022 Chassagne-Montrachet is pale straw colored with aromas of acacia flowers, honeycomb, and pineapple with bright acidity and flavors of almond paste, vanilla, and Anjou pear.
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Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey 2022 Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeot Les Fairendes 1er Cru Cote du Beaune Burgundy
Pierre-Yves Colin worked at his father Marc Colin’s domaine until 2005 and then set out on his own with his wife Caroline Morey to establish their own legacy. Their sons Clement and Mathis have joined the family business and continue to make amazing wines in Chassagne. Their 2022 Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeot Les Fairendes is made from premier cru grapes and has aromas of mango, green apple, and citrus blossom with rounded acidity and complex minerality. In the mid palate there are flavors of lemon curd, pineapple, pear, and orange pith.
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Domaine Caroline Morey 2022 Chassagne-Montrachet Chaumees 1er Cru Cote de Beaune Burgundy
Caroline Morey’s personal project produces some of Chassagne-Montrachet’s most interesting wines. Her family has been making wine in Chassagne since the 16th century and today her domain comprises 17 acres of vineyards in the villages of Santenay, Beaune, and Chassagne-Montrachet. Caroline’s 2022 Chaumees Premier Cru has aromas of white flowers, citrus pith, and a whiff of acacia honey. Bright acidity and flavors of mango, freshly cut pineapple, and peach intertwine on your tongue with just a hint of smoke in the post palate.
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Louis Jadot 2022 Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatieres 1er Cru Cote de Beaune Burgundy
Louis Henry Denis Jadot founded his eponymous maison in 1859 and today it is one of the largest producers in the Cote d’Or with 140 acres of vineyards in some of the best appellations. The house’s Premier Cru Les Folatieres has aromas of orange blossoms, lemon zest, crushed oyster shells, and toasted hazelnuts with bright acidity and flavors of canned peach, vanilla custard, and a touch of brown baking spice in the finish.
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Thierry Pillot 2022 Puligny-Montrachet Enseigneres Cote de Beaune Burgundy
Thierry cut his winemaking teeth at his family’s Domaine Paul Pillot and eventually began making his own wines under his own name sourcing grapes from Santenay, St. Aubin, Chassagne-Montrachet, and Puligny-Montrachet. He tries to use organically farmed grapes although many of the vineyards have not undergone the arduous certification process, and his style definitely leans toward pure expression of fruit with the use of little to no new oak. Enseigneres is straw colored in the glass with aromas of peach, apricot, wet river rocks, and orange blossom. Creamy flavors of pear, white peach, and lemon curd delight the palate and prepare it for the long, elegant finish.
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Paul Pernot 2023 Puligny-Montrachet Folatieres 1er Cru Cote de Beaune Burgundy France
While the legendary Paul Pernot is still running the domain he founded in the 1950s, his two sons are heavily involved in the day-to-day operations of the estate, where they carry on their father’s legacy using a small percentage of new oak in their wines. Their Folatieres Premier Cru has aromas of apple blossom, pear, and wet river rock. It is medium bodied and has flavors of stone and orchard fruits layered on a sturdy backbone of minerality.
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Guy Amiot 2021 Chassagne-Montrachet Vielles Vignes Cote de Beaune Burgundy France
Flavie and Arsene Amiot founded their domain in 1920 and passed it on their son Pierre who in turn transferred it to his son Guy. Today, the estate is run by two brothers, Thierry who is the winemaker and Fabrice who handles the international marketing of the family brand. Made from some of Guy Amiot’s older vines, this delightful wine has aromas of peach, acacia honey, and tangerine blossom. Well-structured with balanced acidity it has flavors of caramelized pineapple, tropical fruit salad, and a touch of crushed quartz in the finish.
Authors
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Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen
