Domaine BAchelet-Monnot
Dezize-lès-Maranges, Côte de Beaune, France
Marc & Alex Bachelet
Given the combination of exceptional vineyards, an excellent vintage, and Marc and Alexandre Bachelet’s attention to detail in the vines and in the cellar, the first release of the domain’s Puligny wines garnered immediate recognition, locally as well as internationally. In the conservative world of Burgundy’s top communes, such rapid rise to prominence is as rare as it is telling. The brothers do the Côte de Beaune’s rising generation proud. The seat of the domain is the family homestead in Dezize-lès-Maranges, just southwest of Santenay.
“Everyone is on the lookout for Burgundy’s next white-wine star (i.e., the new Pierre-Yves Colin Morey), and brothers Marc and Alexandre Bachelet, who created this property in 2005 from their father’s and uncle’s land, are quietly making a solid claim.
Their low-key winery is in Dezize-lès-Maranges, at the southern tip of the Côte de Beaune, but their vineyards represent a great cross-section of Puligny, Chassagne and Meursault.
Theirs is winemaking in the current, structure-minded style—lots of air for the juice, fermenting in larger barrels, finishing in steel. The wines have both character and precision, which is evident even in their village-level Puligny.”
— JON BONNE, PUNCHDRINK.COM, THE NEXT STARS OF BURGUNDY
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Brothers Marc and Alexandre Bachelet might be young but they are quick studies. They started Domaine Bachelet-Monnot in 2005 from a combination of family vineyards and long term leases from their father (Bachelet) and uncle (Monnot) . Their grandfather founded Domaine Bernard Bachelet et Fils in Chassagne-Montrachet and their father made the wines there. They started with ten hectares and now farm just over 22 hectares of vines.
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Holdings in less known appellations such as Maranges and Santenay give the brothers a chance to shine showing their innate understanding of each vineyard’s terroir.
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The Bachelet brothers adopt a labor-intensive approach in the vineyards to achieve their goals of naturally balanced and precise wines. No herbicide is used and the rows are ploughed regularly to manage weeds, aerate the soil, and cut the horizontal roots to encourage deep growth. Strict de-budding is carried out to keep the yields low. All grapes are handpicked at optimum ripeness.
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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
From 3.3 acres of Chardonnay growing in the Bourgogne-classed vineyards within the commune of Puligny, which gives this wine noteworthy pedigree. Average age of vines is 40 years old.
Maranges Blanc 1er Cru La Fussière
Maranges got its AOC status in 1989, and Jean-François Bachelet was a leading advocate of this during the deliberations (prior to 1989, the wine was sold as Côte de Beaune-Villages). The wine comes from just under 2 acres of vines that average 25 years of age.
Saint Aubin 1er cru En Remilly
En Remilly is the first of St Aubin’s vineyards you encounter on the right when driving up its narrow valley, and it grows on the southwest-facing flank of the Montrachet hill (which helps explain why En Remilly is one of the best vineyards in the AOC). The Bachelet brothers farm just over one acre here.
Santenay Blanc
From 4 very chalky parcels in Santenay, majority being from lieu dit Les Bras. These parcels are a continuation of Maranges 1er Cru Fussiere. 30+ year old vines. Indigenous yeast fermentation. Élevage in 350L barrels (20% new). Aged for 12 months in barrel + 6 months in tank
Chassagne-Montrachet
It’s a representative blend of the commune, with grapes from five parcels that have feet in all of the geographic zones. The vines total just over six acres and the parcels are La Canière, Le Chêne, Les Benoîtes, Le Pot Bois, and En Journoblot. Average age of vines is 25 years old.
Puligny-Montrachet
In descending order of acreage, this comes from four old-vine parcels: Les Corvées, Les Meix, Les Houillières, and Noyer Bret.
Puligny-Montrachet 1er cru Hameau de Blagny
These vines grow quite high on the slope, significantly more so than Folatières. Production averages 1,500 bottles, or five barrels.
Puligny-Montrachet 1er cru Les Referts
This vineyard is down-slope within the premier cru band, adjacent to Meursault’s Les Charmes, and typically has more weight than Folatières. The brothers farm just over one acre here and the vines average 40 years old.
Puligny-Montrachet 1er cru Les Folatières
Up-slope within the premier cru band and on the same contour as Chevalier-Montrachet, Les Folatières typically is a high-toned, mineral wine. The domaine farms just over one acre here and like the Referts parcel the vines average 40 years of age.
Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Coming from a 0.14-hectare parcel off 50-year-old vines 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. The brothers picked their Bâtard early in 2018 and the wine was raised in one- and two-year-old 350-litre barrels. Production averages around 75 cases, or three barrels, in a normal year. This wine demands bottle age.
Bourgogne Rouge
A quarter of the fruit comes from Maranges, a quarter from Santenay, and half from the commune of Puligny. Fermented with 15-20% whole cluster, raised in older barrels for ten months, and then racked into concrete vats for six to eight more months. Production averages 900 cases.
Pommard “Les Chanlins”
Just above 1er Chanlins on the Volnay side of Pommard, just next to Rugiens. 40+ year old vines grown on red clay and chalk soil on a very steep parcel at 400m that is worked by hand. 15% whole cluster, Indigenous yeast fermentation and aged in barrel (15% new).
Maranges Rouge Vielles Vignes
A selection of 3 vineyards Les Clos, Sur Le Bois, Aux Artaux 35-50 year old vines. At the bottom of the slope.
Maranges Rouge 1er cru La Fussière
At eleven acres, these vines constitute the largest holding of the domain. And the vines are mature, with an average age of 45 years. The site is up-slope and the wine is heavily influenced by the calcareous soils. Deep, dark, direct and mineral, this wine is a terrific buy for premier cru Burgundy.
Maranges 1er cru Clos de La Boutière
This clos grows at a lower elevation than Fussière and borders Santenay’s Clos Rousseau premier cru. Surface is 3.5 acres and average age of vines is a respectable 65 years. The wine tends toward red fruit (Fussière tends toward black) and is a structured, old-vine creation. Production averages 800 cases annually.