Masterclass on Puligny-Montrachet
Which wine would you bring to a deserted island?
Because you would definitely bring wine right? I have no doubt; I would bring the illustrious Le Montrachet, a fantastic white wine.
Welcome to this ShareWine Masterclass, where we will take a closer look at the wine region Puligny-Montrachet in Burgundy.
Puligny-Montrachet is a small village located in Côtes de Beaune in Côte-d'Or. As mentioned in previous masterclasses, many famous towns in Burgundy have taken their names from the largest and most well-known grand cru vineyards. Thus, Puligny also adopted the name Montrachet in 1879.
Facts about Puligny-Montrachet
Puligny-Montrachet has 114 hectares classified as Villages level. 100 hectares classified as Premier Cru and 21 hectares classified as Grand Cru.
Puligny-Montrachet is considered by many to be the finest AOC, closely competing with Chassagne-Montrachet and Meursault, both of which are interesting wine regions we can visit in a future masterclass.
But why is Puligny-Montrachet considered the finest area? This is because it includes two grand crus: Bienvenues Bâtard-Montrachet and Chevalier-Montrachet. Additionally, it shares Bâtard-Montrachet and Le Montrachet with Chassagne-Montrachet.
Furthermore, Puligny-Montrachet has double the grand cru area compared to Chassagne-Montrachet.
Besides the famous grand cru vineyards and a prominent array of premier cru vineyards, there is a specific "lie-dit" (term for a single, defined plot, essentially a single vineyard) worth highlighting: Les Enseignères. This plot is located at the foot of Bâtard-Montrachet and Bienvenues Bâtard-Montrachet and, at 9 hectares, is the largest villages plot in the area.
There are many excellent producers, but if I had to highlight three particularly good ones, it would be Coche-Dury, Ramonet, and D'Auvenay.
PRO TIP: Look for wines from the Les Enseignères plot, and if you want to try top producers, look for Coche-Dury, Ramonet, and D'Auvenay.
Puligny-Montrachet 1er cru
Now, let's take a closer look at the brilliant premier crus or 1er crus as they are also called. Puligny-Montrachet has 20 of them, and as seen on the map, many of the 1er crus directly border Meursault at higher elevations towards Blagny (a small village high in Meursault), as well as over the hilltop towards Saint-Aubin.
All the 1er crus are situated on the slope, perfectly drained, with soil conditions that produce these tight and mineral-rich white wines.
Experience the Thrill at a Fraction of the Price
Here is a good tip if you want to experience the thrill of the greatest wines but at a fraction of the price: keep an eye on the 1er crus Les Cailleret and Folatières.
Les Cailleret
Fact: 3.93 hectares
Les Cailleret is located on the same ridge and directly north of Le Montrachet, though with a slightly different sun exposure. The vineyard has a rocky subsoil and borders Chevalier-Montrachet.
Top producers in Les Cailleret:
Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey
Domaine de Montille
Jean Chartron
Les Folatières
Fact: 17.64 hectares
Les Folatières is the largest 1er cru plot and is considered one of the finest because it is in close proximity to Les Cailleret and also shares the ridge with Le Montrachet and Chevalier-Montrachet.
The plot is so large that it includes three subplots: Peux Bois, Au Chaniot, and En la Richarde. The latter is a hidden gem and very close to the grand crus. Domaine Leroy also makes wine here under the D'Auvenay brand, with bottles costing upwards of 2.000 euros.
Top producers in Les Folatières:
Etienne Sauzet
Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey
D'Auvenay
Puligny-Montrachet Grand Cru
Let's move to the highest level and talk about the divine grand crus from Puligny-Montrachet. As mentioned, Puligny-Montrachet has 21 hectares of grand cru area, divided among Bienvenues Bâtard-Montrachet and Chevalier-Montrachet, which lie solely in Puligny, and Bâtard-Montrachet and Le Montrachet, shared with Chassagne-Montrachet.
These highly sought-after grand crus encircle Le Montrachet like a tight ring.
Chevalier-Montrachet
Fact: 7.58 hectares
Chevalier-Montrachet is located just above Le Montrachet, where the microclimate produces some of the world's most expensive and finest Chardonnay-based wines. The thin layer of limestone, the perfect slope, and the south-east exposure all contribute.
Jean Chartron succeeded in upgrading two 1er cru plots from Les Cailleret to Chevalier-Montrachet in 1974, a rare occurrence in the traditional Burgundy.
The difference between Le Montrachet and Chevalier-Montrachet is small; after all, they are neighbors. However, Chevalier is slightly higher with cooler air, and the soil is denser, lighter limestone with more marl. Such tiny differences distinguish the vineyards in Burgundy, making it challenging to navigate among the various producers and vineyards.
Top producers in Chevalier-Montrachet:
D'Auvenay (largest owner)
Domaine Leflaive
Ramonet
Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey
Jean Chartron
Bienvenues Bâtard-Montrachet
Fact: 3.68 hectares
Bienvenues Bâtard-Montrachet is a smaller plot but also has 11 owners. Not all owners utilize all the grapes for their production, resulting in negotiant wines from the area, causing the number of producers with wines from this plot to vary year to year.
Bienvenues Bâtard-Montrachet is in the northeast corner of Bâtard-Montrachet, belonging to Puligny-Montrachet and adjacent to Les Pucelles. The terroir here is nearly perfect, and many wine enthusiasts pride themselves on distinguishing between Bâtard-Montrachet and Bienvenues Montrachet. My experience is that Bienvenues Montrachet wines are slightly softer, more feminine, and easier to approach when young.
A closer look at the grand cru vineyards Bâtard-Montrachet and Le Montrachet will be saved for another time. For now, let's examine some of the best vintages to look for when buying wines from Puligny-Montrachet on ShareWine.
The Best Vintages in Puligny-Montrachet
Here are some of the best vintages from the past 30 years, and chances are good that you will find these on the marketplace:
1990
1991
1992
1996
2002
2004
2005
2008
2010
2011
2014
2016
2017
Below you can find current auctions for wines from Puligny-Montrachet.