The mighty Montrachets
Montrachet is among the most seductive and voluptuous white wines on the planet. The eminent Burgundy expert Dr Jules Lavalle wrote in 1855 that Montrachet produced wines that ‘merit so incontestably the first rank among the white wines of the Côte d’Or, and probably among all of the white wines of the world’. Few would contradict him, then or now.
It would be an error to think that every bottle with the word ‘Montrachet’ on the label is equivalent in quality. However, a little knowledge about the vineyard, and the others that surround it, can help you track down one of the world’s most extraordinary white wines, as well as several exciting satellite appellations that richly merit their reflected glory.
IDEAL LOCATION
Montrachet is a vineyard of eight hectares divided almost equally between neighbouring Chassagne and Puligny, according to cartographer and winemaker Sylvain Pitiot. The two villages have long feuded, but this vineyard, their crown jewel, belongs to them both. In 1878, both villages took the step of officially appending the name of the vineyard to their own.
This vineyard produces great wine because many factors align perfectly to create an ideal location for growing Chardonnay. According to wine author Jacky Rigaux, this is due in good measure to its location at the middle of the slope, with a very gentle incline between 255m-270m. The thin brown soil sits atop a layer of calcium-rich marl, over a bedrock of Bathonian limestone from the Jurassic period.
The northern portion of Montrachet faces east-southeast. At the border between the village territories, the slope begins to turn into the valley that leads to St-Aubin, a little to the west. At this point, the vines face directly south, making Montrachet from the
