This Bourgogne Blanc comes from some seriously impressive terroir, namely 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 vineyards—combined with the quality of the viticulture, harvest date and confident, hands-off winemaking—offer up one of the best-value white Burgundies in our portfolio. 

The wine has been in the Bachelet-Monnot portfolio since 2012 and is drawn from four parcels of mature vines that average 30 years of age. The key terroir is the lieu-dit Les Bras, which is a continuation of the Maranges 1er Cru La Fussière. Le Chainey provides the balance. These vineyards are exceptionally chalky and, in ’22, delivered a gorgeous white with a lovely, creamy midpalate and long, rocky close.

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. This fermented spontaneously in concrete tanks, with some new barrels used in the maturation this year. 20% whole bunch and 20% new oak. One year in wood and six months in tank. 

This charismatic old-vine cuvée is drawn from two plots: Le Chamery in Cheilly-lès-Maranges and Le Clos in Sampigny-lès-Maranges. The mass-selection 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 bunches (40% in 2022) to balance the depth of fruit. 25% new wood only. This is excellent. Terrific value now, this will be even better with a few years in bottle.

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 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. This cuvée comprises 11 parcels. This wine spent about 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. 30% whole bunches helps as well. 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! A gorgeous wine that in today’s Burgundy—and bear in mind that this is Burgundy 1er Cru—represents brilliant value! 

This is the Bachelets’ first release from this highly regarded 1er Cru, which is a continuation of Santenay’s Clos Rousseau. The family has owned vines here for decades, though the parcel was too small to vinify separately; this fruit was previously blended into the village wines. From 2022, they have a new fermage agreement in place, taking the total surface to just over half a hectare, so a single cuvée is possible. The vineyard has a band of hard limestone under brown marl soils. The brothers experimented with 100% bunches this year, and zero sulphur was added until racking. The experiment was more than successful! It’s an intensely floral, seductive red with a delicious creamy texture and fine tannins. Again, next-level for the appellation and another bargain. 

Les Charmes Dessus 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. To put it another way, this vineyard is often referred to as a ‘white terroir’, and Marc Bachelet tells us this site always delivers the best acidity in the reds, regardless of the year. From half a hectare of 50-year-old vines, it fermented with roughly 25% bunches. This is super: fleshy with oodles of plummy and anise-scented fruit leading to a long, powdery close. 

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. This incorporates one-third whole bunches, and the wine was raised in traditional 228-litre barrels (20% new). Incredibly fine, this is more ‘Chambolle’ in style when compared to the ‘Gevrey’ style of the Charmes.   

This is from the brothers’ vines in Chanlins, a village lieu-dit 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. There is also a portion of fruit from recently replanted vines in La Vache. The wine fermented with 50% bunches and was raised with 30% new oak barrels.