Domaine BAchelet-Monnot
Dezize-lès-Maranges, Côte de Beaune, France
Marc & Alex Bachelet
Domaine Bachelet-Monnot is exactly the kind of estate that drew us to Burgundy in the first place: a family domaine, exceptional vineyards, and two brothers deeply committed to expressing them. Marc and Alexandre Bachelet founded the domaine in 2005 at their family home in Dezize-lès-Maranges, and from the very first release their wines attracted attention—no small feat in the deeply established world of Burgundy. Today their holdings stretch across an extraordinary collection of terroirs, from Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet and Meursault to Saint-Aubin, Santenay and their home vineyards of Maranges.
There is a clarity and consistency to the wines that we have always loved: Chardonnays with depth and texture but real mineral tension; Pinot Noirs with concentration but never at the expense of freshness or finesse. And while the brothers have become particularly sought after for their Côte de Beaune whites, we find their work in Maranges every bit as exciting. This is their home turf, and through old vines, remarkable holdings and years of meticulous work, Marc and Alex have helped show just how compelling and age-worthy the wines of this southern corner of the Côte de Beaune can be.
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Marc and Alexandre Bachelet founded Domaine Bachelet-Monnot in 2005, building on generations of family winemaking in the Côte de Beaune. Their grandfather established Domaine Bernard Bachelet et Fils in Chassagne-Montrachet, where their father, Jean-François Bachelet, spent his career making wine and where both brothers worked five harvests before striking out on their own. They began with 8 hectares, gradually expanding through family holdings and long-term leases; in 2011, their father’s vineyards were incorporated into Bachelet-Monnot.
The family’s connection to Maranges runs particularly deep. Jean-François played an integral role in the appellation’s recognition in 1989, when Maranges gained its own AOC rather than being sold as Côte de Beaune-Villages. Marc and Alexandre have continued that legacy, making Maranges a cornerstone of the domaine and demonstrating the appellation’s potential for both serious Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Today, from their family property in Dezize-lès-Maranges, they farm roughly 22 hectares across the southern Côte de Beaune, from Maranges and Santenay through Chassagne-Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet, Saint-Aubin, Meursault and Pommard. -
While many domaines are defined by a single appellation, Bachelet-Monnot's strength lies in its exceptional collection of vineyards across the southern Côte de Beaune. The estate farms premier cru sites in Puligny-Montrachet, Saint-Aubin and Maranges alongside village holdings in Chassagne, Santenay and Meursault. Their extensive holdings in Maranges—particularly La Fussière—have played a major role in elevating the appellation's reputation over the past twenty years.
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Whites
The whites are built around texture without sacrificing tension. Grapes undergo a long, gentle pressing before fermentation and élevage in 350L French oak barrels, with new oak used judiciously. After approximately 12 months in barrel, the wines are transferred to stainless steel for a further six to eight months on their lees, allowing them to settle and integrate while preserving freshness and mineral definition. The approach is deliberately restrained; in the concentrated 2024 vintage, no bâtonnage was used, as the wines already possessed ample natural density.
Reds
The reds are handled with the same emphasis on freshness, precision and site expression. Whole-cluster use is adjusted according to the character of each vineyard and vintage rather than following a fixed recipe; notably, the naturally vibrant 2024 fruit was largely or entirely destemmed across several cuvées. Extraction is gentle, and new oak is kept restrained. Following barrel élevage, the wines are transferred to concrete or stainless steel for an additional six to eight months, a step the brothers find helps the wines regain aromatic lift and freshness before bottling.
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In the cellar, the percentage of new barrels used is roughly 25%; the wine is aged for twelve months before being racked into tank (or, in the case of the reds, concrete vats) for another six to eight months of aging on the lees before bottling. This, to one degree or another, is the general pattern of élevage for all of the wines made here of both colors.
Stylistically Alex believes that the reds of Maranges and Santenay have great acidity and allows them to sacrifice some to gain more structure.
Their use of stainless steel racking post elevage is also used in the reds. They believe the wines can come off a bit tired and helps lift them and freshen.
Wines
Bourgogne Blanc
Sourced from Bourgogne-designated vineyards within Puligny-Montrachet, complemented by a small parcel of young-vine Chassagne-Montrachet. The 20–50-year-old vines produce a beautifully balanced Bourgogne Blanc that consistently overdelivers for its appellation.
Santenay Blanc
Introduced in 2012, this cuvée is sourced from four chalk-rich parcels in Santenay, anchored by Les Bras—a continuation of Maranges 1er Cru La Fussière—along with Le Chainey and other estate vineyards. The 30+ year-old vines produce a Chardonnay that captures the freshness and limestone character of the southern Côte de Beaune.
Meursault Clos du Cromin
Sourced from a tiny 0.21 ha walled vineyard on the northern edge of Meursault near the Volnay border. First planted by the Bachelet brothers' grandfather, the parcel includes some of Meursault's oldest Chardonnay vines, with half dating back more than 90 years. The south/southeast-facing site combines deep red clay with a rocky limestone subsoil, producing a powerful yet remarkably refined expression of Meursault.
Chassagne-Montrachet
Sourced from 30+ year-old vines on seven parcels across Chassagne-Montrachet—including La Canière, Le Chêne, Les Benoîtes, Le Pot Bois, and En Journoblot—this cuvée gives a complete village wine that reflects the diversity of it’s vineyards.
Puligny-Montrachet
Drawn from six estate parcels across Puligny-Montrachet, including Les Meix, Corvée des Vignes, Noyer Bret and Les Houlières, this wine showcases the domaine's benchmark village holdings. The 30+ year-old vines produce a classic Puligny expression.
Maranges 1er Cru La Fussière Blanc
Perched between 290 and 400 meters on south-facing slopes of marl and limestone bordering Santenay, this small parcel of 40-year-old Chardonnay vines planted in the highest reaches of La Fussière produces a remarkably pure, taut expression of Chardonnay.
Saint Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly
Perched on the southwest-facing slope of Montrachet, En Remilly is widely regarded as one of Saint-Aubin's finest premier crus. The domaine farms just over 0.5 ha of 40+ year-old vines rooted in thin limestone soils, producing a wine of remarkable precision and tension.
Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Referts
Located at the foot of the premier cru slope beside Meursault Les Charmes, Les Referts is one of Puligny's richest and most complete premier crus. Often referred to locally as "Petit Bâtard" for its clay-rich soils and the depth and texture reminiscent of nearby Bâtard-Montrachet, the domaine farms 0.45 ha of 40+ year-old vines near the top of the slope beneath Les Combettes.
Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières
Situated high on the slope alongside Chevalier-Montrachet, Les Folatières is one of Puligny's benchmark premier crus. The domaine farms 0.5 ha of 40+ year-old vines in the rocky lower eastern section of the vineyard, bordering Clavoillon and just below La Truffière, where the shallow limestone soils naturally produce tiny, concentrated berries.
Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru
50-year-old vines from a 0.14-ha parcel in the cooler, Puligny-end of Bâtard (right at the top of the slope and immediately below Le Montrachet), which is planted at a density of 15,000 vines per hectare. Raised in in one- and two-year-old 350-litre barrels.
Wines - Red
Bourgogne Rouge
Produced from estate vineyards, with 50% of the fruit coming from Puligny and 25% each from Maranges and Santenay. Fermented with 15–20% whole cluster, it is aged for ten months in older barrels followed by 6–8 months in concrete, preserving freshness and finesse.
Pommard
Sourced primarily from the Les Chanlins lieu-dit on the Volnay border, with fruit from La Vache (introduced beginning with the 2022 vintage). The 0.25 ha parcel of 40+ year-old vines sits at nearly 400 metres, making it one of the highest and steepest sites in the Côte de Beaune. Its stony, chalk-rich soils produce an elegant, "Volnay-like" expression of Pommard.
Maranges Rouge Vielles Vignes
Sourced from 50+ year-old massale-selection vines planted in two warm, lower-slope parcels—Le Chamery in Cheilly-lès-Maranges and Le Clos in Sampigny-lès-Maranges. The soils combine red clay with rocky chalk, giving the wine both generous fruit and mineral freshness. In warmer vintages, the brothers may retain some whole bunches to balance the depth of fruit, though the naturally racy 2024 was entirely destemmed.
Maranges 1er Cru La Fussière Rouge
The domaine’s flagship red, La Fussière comes from 11 parcels totaling 3 ha within the largest premier cru climat of Maranges. The Bachelets’ vines average 60 years old and lie on steep, south-facing slopes between 290–400 meters, where limestone-rich soils bring freshness and mineral definition to this southern terroir.
Maranges 1er Cru Clos de La Boutière
Coming from a 1.4 ha clos bordering Santenay 1er Cru Clos Rousseau, of which Bachelet-Monnot owns roughly half. Lying at a lower elevation than La Fussière, its clay-rich soils give the wine greater richness and power, while a single parcel of 90+ year-old vines from an old massale selection brings remarkable depth and complexity.
Maranges 1er Cru Les Clos Roussots
Coming from just over 0.5 ha in this highly regarded premier cru, a continuation of Santenay 1er Cru Clos Rousseau. The family has owned vines here for decades, but historically blended the small parcel into its village Maranges; a fermage agreement beginning in 2022 expanded the holding enough to bottle Clos Roussots separately. Brown marl over a band of hard limestone gives the wine a particularly structured, mineral character.