Bachelet-Monnot

‘Spine-tingling’: The 2021s from “A Domaine at the very forefront of white Burgundy.” (Jasper Morris)
Bachelet-Monnot
A small but beautiful release from a domaine now widely considered among Burgundy’s elite. Despite the season’s challenges, 2021 is a year of terrific purity and transparency for Marc and Alexandre Bachelet. Although down in volumes to the tune of half a harvest, the whites are magnificent; classic in style and buzzing with the racy freshness of the vintage. Unlike many others this year, the brothers chose not to chaptalize—a common feature of the vintage—so the wines finished at around 12.5% with good ripeness and lip-smacking freshness. To give you an idea of the level the brothers have reached this year, Marc Bachelet believes the 2021 Bâtard-Montrachet is the best his domaine has released.

The reds were cropped at between 23-26 hl/ha and Alexandre Bachelet pulled back on the use of whole bunches this year; using only sparingly to help fill the tanks. The resulting wines are bright and perfumed and full of racy charm. Like the whites, they do not show the stress of the vintage, and as always, they offer the kind of quality that extends beyond the aspirational boundaries of their appellations. By the way, this year the Santenay Vieilles Vignes includes all the harvest from the single vineyards of Les Charmes Dessus and Les Prarons Dessus, and we have gratefully received our first allocation of the domaine’s Pommard Les Chanlins.

In both colours, the wines can be enjoyed young, yet will improve for a decade and the top wines possibly even longer. It’s up for debate whether or not this is a vintage for extended aging, but then, great wine always finds a way of surprising us. Regardless, here we offer a stimulating range of classically styled Burgundies from a great grower—a rarity in this era of climate change. Followers of this domaine should not hesitate.

The Wines

Bachelet-Monnot Bourgogne Rouge 2021
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Bachelet-Monnot Bourgogne Rouge 2021

This bright and juicy Bourgogne was drawn from three parcels: one-third comes from a parcel of old-vine Pinot Fin in the Hautes-Côtes; another third from vines in Maranges (village level); and the remainder from a Bourgogne parcel on the edge of Puligny-Montrachet. The Puligny component brings perfume, the Maranges brings depth of fruit, and the Hautes-Côtes brings structure and high-toned perfume. The age of these sites is seriously impressive for a red of this level, with 60-, 70- and 80-year-old vines in the mix. Naturally fermented in concrete tanks, the aging took in some new barrels this year. It’s a racy and mouth-watering vintage with a lovely core of silken fruit and a dab of spice on the finish. Great Bourgogne.

“One third from Puligny, one third Hautes Côtes and one third Maranges declassified. Mid purple. Not noticeably a notably noble pinot nose – though apparently the pinot stock in the Hautes Côtes vineyard is pinot fin. Classier fruit on the palate with a certain weight behind, raspberry/strawberry notes, a little dry behind.”
86-87 points, Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy
"The 2021 Bourgogne Rouge has a pretty nose with cranberry, raspberry and a touch of stoniness. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy tannins. The 2021 has a little more backbone than other regional reds but still with plenty of freshness on the finish."
86-88 points, Neal Martin, Vinous
Bachelet-Monnot Bourgogne Rouge 2021
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Bachelet-Monnot Bourgogne Blanc Côte d'Or 2021
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Bachelet-Monnot Bourgogne Blanc Côte d'Or 2021

This Bourgogne Blanc comes from some seriously impressive terroir: 1.3 hectares of 20- to 50-year-old vines in the Puligny area (spread across four parcels) and a plot of young-vine Chassagne on chalky soil. These source vineyards—combined with the quality of the viticulture, harvest date and confident, hands-off winemaking—give one of the best value white Burgundies in our portfolio. As always, a no-brainer.

“Two thirds from below Puligny, one third Chassagne. Pale colour, with a tight and reductive nose. Slightly smoky. An amiable tension, some greener notes, but there is good flesh too. Still quite backward. This may blossom from here, but my score is cautious.”
86-88 points, Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy
"The 2021 Bourgogne Côte d'Or, which comes entirely from the domaine, has a fragrant bouquet with Granny Smith apples and fresh pears. The palate is well balanced, the 20% new oak nicely integrated, and is slightly leesy towards the composed finish. Fine."
86-88 points, Neal Martin, Vinous
Bachelet-Monnot Bourgogne Blanc Côte d'Or 2021
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Bachelet-Monnot Chassagne-Montrachet 2021
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Bachelet-Monnot Chassagne-Montrachet 2021

This fleshy and precise Chassagne is drawn from six well-sited parcels across the village: La Canière, Le Chêne, Les Benoîtes, Pot Bois, En Journoblot and Les Houillères. The parcels are below the 1er Crus except Pot Bois, which is one of Chassagne’s highest vineyards and lies above Paul Pillot’s Chassagne, Clos Saint-Jean. Les Houillères also deserves a callout, sitting, as it does, below Bâtard. The average age of the vines is 30 years. This is always an outstanding, stylish village-level wine.

"The 2021 Chassagne-Montrachet Village was cropped at a respectable 30hl/ha due to the late pruning in this vineyard. It has a clean and precise bouquet, quite focused, a light reduction at play in the background. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, fresh and apply with orange rind towards the taut, slightly short but fresh finish. Fine."
87-89 points, Neal Martin, Vinous
Bachelet-Monnot Chassagne-Montrachet 2021
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Bachelet-Monnot Maranges 1er Cru La Fussière Blanc 2021
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Bachelet-Monnot Maranges 1er Cru La Fussière Blanc 2021

La Fussière is the largest climat of Maranges (at the very south of the Côte de Beaune, next to Santenay), covering an area of almost 35 hectares. It faces south, directly towards the start of the Côte Chalonnaise, on a slope between 290 and 400 metres. Alongside a cracking red from these marly, crinoidal limestone soils, Bachelet-Monnot has long crafted an exceptionally pure and taut white Burgundy from a small parcel of 40-year-old vines occupying the vineyard's highest reaches. This site lost almost 70% of its crop due to the frost this year. Raised with 20% new oak, it’s a beautifully pitched, chalky white with crisp apple and white peach fruit, finishing with a tangy, citric snap.

“Attractive pale lemon yellow. This has considerable volume for the vintage with a racy and lemon-tinged note to the fruit. Fresh but ripe apples as well, maybe. Opens out into an attractive white stone fruit to finish. Just the bouquet is needing still to develop. Balanced and quite persistent.” 89-91 points
Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy
"The 2021 Maranges La Fussières 1er Cru Blanc, which lost 70% of the crop due to frost, has a tight nose, requiring some encouragement in the glass and reluctantly offers citrus fruit and a light damp moss/undergrowth scent. The palate is well balanced with lime and orange pith on the entry, nicely detailed with a crisp spine of acidity. The 20% new oak is a little vocal on the finish, but this will be assimilated with time. Worth seeking out." 89-91 points
Neal Martin, Vinous
Bachelet-Monnot Maranges 1er Cru La Fussière Blanc 2021
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Bachelet-Monnot Maranges 1er Cru La Fussière Rouge 2021
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Bachelet-Monnot Maranges 1er Cru La Fussière Rouge 2021

La Fussière is the largest climat of Maranges (at the very south of the Côte de Beaune, next to Santenay), covering an area of almost 35 hectares. It faces south, directly towards the start of the Côte Chalonnaise, on a slope at an altitude between 290 and 400 metres. With the addition of a new parcel in 2020, the Bachelet vines cover three hectares with an average age of 60 years. Eleven different parcels are blended to make this cuvée. This wine spent roughly 12 months in used casks and was then racked to cement vats, where it rested for roughly six months.

The Bachelet aim has always been to craft finer, more aromatic reds from the Côte’s southern reaches, and this limestone-rich site has helped further this aim. In addition to the reviews below, Jasper Morris opines: “If you don’t know or don’t rate Maranges, this wine is the wake-up call.” Hear, hear! In today’s Burgundy—and bear in mind that this is Burgundy 1er Cru—the word bargain is an understatement!

“They now have an extra hectare in fermage, not pruned when the frost came so they made a full crop there. Rich powerful purple. The nose takes a little time but is predominantly a darker raspberry. A quality bouquet in fact, and a lovely very pretty raspberry and cherry fruit behind. Good persistence too.”
89-91 points, Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy
"The 2021 Maranges La Fussières 1er Cru Rouge was very complex to pick, the 5.5-hectares with ten different types of ripening depending on vine age and terroirs. It has a very mineral-driven bouquet, beautifully defined with more black fruit than the Clos de la Boutière. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp red fruit, a little leafy in style and sapid with a slightly peppery finish that might fool you into thinking there were stems in the blend (when in fact, they were too green to include this year)."
91-93 points, Neal Martin, Vinous
Bachelet-Monnot Maranges 1er Cru La Fussière Rouge 2021
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Bachelet-Monnot Puligny-Montrachet 2021
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Bachelet-Monnot Puligny-Montrachet 2021

The domaine now works with 12 parcels in Puligny, many of which feature in this village cuvée. In the main, this wine comes from five well-placed sites—Les Meix, Les Enseignères, Corvée des Vignes, Les Noyers Bret and Les Houillères—where the youngest vines are 25 years old and the average age is considerably higher. Like all the whites, this underwent spontaneous fermentation and was raised in 350-litre barrels. The latest release is true to the Bachelet style of Puligny, with lifted aromatics (flowers and lime leaf) and a juicy, zesty, long, mineral personality in the mouth.

“Clear pale colour, with not much nose, mildly reductive. A clean and energetic fruit on the palate, a little barrel toast behind, lean and pure with adequate tension. Some lime notes right at the finish.” 88-90 points
Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy
"The 2021 Puligny-Montrachet Village has a strict, petrichor/wet limestone-scented bouquet, focused but not powerful. The palate is well balanced with a sappy entry, fine depth for a Village Cru and beautifully-judged acidity. A dab of spice enlivens the finish. This is an excellent, citrus-driven Puligny." 90-92 points
Neal Martin, Vinous
Bachelet-Monnot Puligny-Montrachet 2021
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Bachelet-Monnot Maranges Vieilles Vignes Rouge 2021
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Bachelet-Monnot Maranges Vieilles Vignes Rouge 2021

This charismatic old vine cuvée is drawn from two plots: Le Chamery in Cheilly-lès-Maranges and Le Clos in Sampigny-lès-Maranges. The vines are over 50 years old, and the soils tend towards red clay, shot through with rocky chalk. Alexandre Bachelet notes that these terroirs are reasonably warm, and he uses a significant percentage of whole bunches (although less than usual in 2021) to balance the depth of fruit. It’s a smart wine packed with dark cherry and bitter chocolate notes and plenty of powdery tannins. Terrific value now, this will be even better with a few years in bottle.

“Rich bright purple. A little more density in the bouquet, a sweeter raspberry style of fruit, medium bodied, slightly firmer structure behind, then more cherries come out, a nice overall balance for reasonably early drinking.”
87-89 points, Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy
"The 2021 Maranges Vieilles Vignes does not quite possess the harmony and precision of Bachelet-Monnot's other reds, maybe just a tad rustic and simple. The palate is better with crunchy red fruit and fine acidity, the oak just a little more marked than expected. That should be subsumed with time though."
88-90 points, Neal Martin, Vinous
Bachelet-Monnot Maranges Vieilles Vignes Rouge 2021
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Bachelet-Monnot Maranges 1er Cru Clos de la Boutière 2021
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Bachelet-Monnot Maranges 1er Cru Clos de la Boutière 2021

Bachelet-Monnot owns half of this Clos. Boutière may well derive from old French for ‘end of the field’, which fits, considering this vineyard sits on the border of Santenay at the very end of the Clos Roussots vineyard. Clos de la Boutière has more clay in the soil, which can be felt in the added richness of the wine. It comes from a single parcel of 80-year-old, mass-selection vines, which deliver ripeness and power. All the fruit was destemmed this vintage. Cropped at just 18 hl/hl, you can again expect more depth, texture and seduction than the more linear La Fussière. Again, next-level Maranges and a terrific bargain for 1er Cru Burgundy.

“A good half crop made. The most concentrated of the reds in colour and in nose. A fine generosity of fruit. This is certainly good and almost qualifies as exciting! A touch of orange zest in with the fresh red fruit. Excellent energy.”
89-92 points, Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy
"Cropped at a measly 18hl/ha, the 2021 Maranges Clos de la Boutière 1er Cru has an attractive bouquet with vibrant dark cherry, crushed strawberry and light vanillary scents. The palate is medium-bodied with quite "thick" tannins that lend this real weight and density; a burly Maranges in a positive sense, even if it does miss a bit of nuance on the finish. Cellar it for a couple of years."
90-92 points, Neal Martin, Vinous
Bachelet-Monnot Maranges 1er Cru Clos de la Boutière 2021
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Bachelet-Monnot Santenay Vieilles Vignes 2021
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Bachelet-Monnot Santenay Vieilles Vignes 2021

Santenay was among the hardest-hit villages of the Côte de Beaune in 2021. Hence, this grower has no Santenay Blanc this year and just one red cuvée instead of the usual three; the single vineyards of Les Charmes Dessus and Les Prarons Dessus were blended into this wine. Les Charmes is a site just under the Clos Rousseau 1er Cru on the southeastern slopes of Santenay. While it’s reasonably close to Clos de la Boutière, the terroir is markedly different. Here, the red clay and rocky limestone soils produce aromatic, racy reds of great finesse and freshness. Les Prarons Dessus is one of Santenay’s northernmost vineyards, adjacent to Chassagne 1er Cru Morgeot and just beneath Clos de Tavannes. The chalky soils here are rich in red clay, which, combined with the old vines, gives a darker, rounder Santenay with more flesh and finer tannins. Old vines in Le Chainey and Les Bras, on rocky mountain soils above the domaine’s Maranges vines, also contribute. The sum of its parts is ultra impressive for this commune and this level.

“Another good mid purple colour and while the bouquet suggests some weight, it doesn’t quite have the same charm in the bouquet. The palate does indeed proffer the anticipated fruit weight with an extra little tingle of acidity. Darker raspberry throughout.”
88-91 points, Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy
Bachelet-Monnot Santenay Vieilles Vignes 2021
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Bachelet-Monnot Pommard Les Chanlins Rouge 2021
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Bachelet-Monnot Pommard Les Chanlins Rouge 2021

This is our maiden allocation from the brothers’ vines in Chanlins, a village site that lies just above the 1er Cru of the same name on the Volnay border. The 0.25-hectare parcel of 40-year-old vines comes from Alex and Marc Bachelet’s father, who sold the fruit to négociants until 2011. At 400 metres, it’s one of the highest and steepest vineyards of the Côte de Beaune, which, along with the stony, chalk-rich soils, results in a pretty and mid-weighted ‘Volnay’ expression of Pommard. In most years, the wine ferments with a good percentage of whole bunches, yet this year, the Bachelets used appreciably less, partly due to the ripeness of the stems and partly to help fill the tank.

“Slightly less density in the colour than the others, with a floral note from some whole bunches. It was decided to keep extraction down here and so less colour came out. Very pretty on the palate too, though with some tannins and the mildest suggestion of a herbaceous note at the finish. A pleasing wine though, overall.”
88-91 points, Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy
Bachelet-Monnot Pommard Les Chanlins Rouge 2021
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“What can I say apart from every year these boys slam-dunk another raft of outstanding wines that brim with freshness and vigour. They have the knack… what I love is how they elevate Maranges into something that exceeds all expectations,” Neal Martin, Vinous



“Everyone is on the lookout for Burgundy’s next white-wine star, … 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.”
Jon Bonné, punchdrink.com



“It’s a depleted portfolio this year… Yet what survived sends tingles down the spine, not least a brilliant duo in the form of the Puligny Les Referts and Folatières, while the Maranges Les Fussières demonstrates what this oft-overlooked appellation can do in the right hands.”
Neal Martin, Vinous

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