Montrachet

At first, Montrachet seems an easy concept. In simplest terms Montrachet, le Montrachet really, is the name of a single vineyard, an exquisite vineyard of chardonnay grapes in the heart of Burgundy’s Cote de Beaune. Any other place it might just be called a field or ranch. It covers less than 20 acres and is devoted to white wine. However, the story is not just that simple. First of all, the 20 acres is divided between two villages, Chassagne and Puligny, and among a dozen or so owners. Each owner has title to specific vines, in some cases just a few rows. Each cares for the vines, and harvests independently. So, small as le Montrachet is, a number of different labels are produced each vintage.

That is hardly the end of the story. For one thing, not all growers make their own wine. Even from so great and famous (and small) a vineyard, there are wines that are not “estate bottled”. In fact, the most famous (and largest) owner, Marquis de Laguiche, provides fruit to the firm of Joseph Drouhin which always makes the wine.

Most growers, and most makers, of le Montrachet deal in other wines of the region. It is quite common for a number of similar wines to be produced by each maker of le Montrachet. So, a famous trademark for le Montrachet will often appear on lesser wines, some of which have similar names. For example, in addition to le Montrachet, Laguiche grows grapes near the village of Chassagne which are also vinified by Drouhin and labeled “Marquis de Laguiche Chassagne-Montrachet”. This “village wine” is a very fine wine indeed but it is hardly the peer of le Montrachet and usually sells for about 20% of the price.

It is the village wines coming from near le Montrachet that we encounter most often. The villages of Puligny and Chassagne are less than two miles apart and, as we have noted, share the famous le Montrachet vineyard. Each has appended the name Montrachet to take advantage of the vineyard’s fame in marketing nearby wines. In contrast, the village of Pommard calls its village wines simply “Pommard”. The designations Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet are village wines that wish to remind the buyer of their proximity to the region’s most famous vineyard. However, while they are near neighbors, they are usually a far cry from the depth and quality of le Montrachet.

Clustered immediately around le Montrachet are four additional “Grands Crus”. Each has status similar to le Montrachet and, once again, appends its name to their own. They are Batard-Montrachet, Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet, Criots-Batard-Montrachet, and Chevalier-Montrachet. Batard-Montrachet like le Montrachet is half in each village. Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet and Chevalier-Montrachet are just in Puligny. Criots-Batard-Montrachet is just in Chassagne. In each village there are also dozens of other famous sites with names of their own. Some are awarded the near-great status of “Premier Cru” and are frequently named in separate bottlings, such as Puligny Montrachet Les Folatieres.

The entire region of the “two Montrachets” encompasses a mere 2,000 acres or so, yet it offers a seemingly infinite array of fine white wines of varying style and quality. Prices for the finest can surpass $200 a bottle, but many good village wines sell for less than $40. Oh yes, they make red wine there too, but that’s another story.

10/04