2021 Bachelet-Monnot Expression of Interest Offer

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The 2021 Vintage at Bachelet-Monnot

by Burghound

Brothers Marc and Alex Bachelet have taken the area under production from 6 ha in 2005 to an impressive 22 ha today. This is spread over approximately 20 appellations that produce around 100,000 bottles annually, evenly split between red and white, though that certainly was not the case in 2021. The brothers noted that the growing season was “particular, which is to say difficult but manageable. We had varying degrees of frost damage as we pruned late but it’s impossible to prune everything late so hence the varying degrees of damage. For example, Santenay and the Puligny 1ers were absolutely killed, while the Bâtard, which was better protected, lost ‘only’ 50%. Moreover, the disease pressure was just nasty and we were constantly treating the vines. The mildew and oidium were the worst though we had less trouble with botrytis.

We picked from the 17th of September and brought in yields that varied from a low of 12 hl/ha to a high of 30 hl/ha, with an average of about 25 hl/ha. Potential alcohols for the pinot ranged from 11.8 to 12.2% and the chardonnay came in between 12 and 12.5%. We did absolutely no punching down during a short cuvaison of only 10 days where we used no whole clusters as we thought it better to vinify lightly.

It’s ironic in that we initially thought that the wines, especially the reds, would be awful but in fact, they’re really quite good. Not great but more than respectable. For the whites, we did no lees stirring per se but we did use a lot of lees during the élevage for 12 months in barrel before transferring them to tank where they will sit for another 6 months. In contrast to the reds which are good to very good, the whites appear to be excellent and may offer some very positive surprises with age.” 

The Wines

Whites

2021 Bachelet-Monnot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Referts $460ea

Firm reduction. There is more evident minerality if not the same mid-palate density to the rich but not really generous medium weight flavors that possess an even more refined texture that carries over to the bone-dry, balanced and sneaky long finish. Note that this is sufficiently firm to easily repay a decade plus of keeping. This too is excellent.

Burghound 91-94  ♥ Outstanding

2021 Bachelet-Monnot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières $490ea

Firm reduction. There is more evident minerality if not the same mid-palate density to the rich but not really generous medium weight flavors that possess an even more refined texture that carries over to the bone-dry, balanced and sneaky long finish. Note that this is sufficiently firm to easily repay a decade plus of keeping. This too is excellent.

Burghound 91-94  ♥ Outstanding

2021 Bachelet-Monnot Grand Cru Bâtard-Montrachet $1,500ea

Firm reduction. The denser and more powerful broad-shouldered flavors possess almost painful intensity while retaining excellent delineation on the moderately austere, harmonious and compact finale that exhibits outstanding length. This is packed with upside development potential and is a wine that’s going to need at least 6 to 8 years of patience and should amply reward 12 to 15.

Burghound 93-95 ♥ Sweet spot

2021 Bachelet-Monnot Meursault Clos du Cromin $233ea

This is also firmly reduced and revealing nothing save for a touch of wood toast. There is excellent density and power to the larger-scaled flavors that display the robustness typical of Clos du Cromin on the clean, dry and persistent finish that is borderline tannic. This is also very good for its level though it is clearly less refined.

Burghound 89-91 ♥ Outstanding

2021 Bachelet-Monnot Puligny-Montrachet $233ea

Firm reduction blocks an analysis of the nose today. By contrast, there is a really lovely sense of underlying tension to the dense and relatively powerful middleweight flavors that are succulent yet nicely detailed while retaining the innate refinement of a Puligny. This is an excellent villages that is well worth your consideration.

Burghound 89-92 ♥ Outstanding Top Value

2021 Bachelet-Monnot Chassagne-Montrachet $215ea

Pungent aromas of resin, petrol and reduction precede bigger-bodied and solidly concentrated flavors that deliver better depth and length on the equally rustic finale that is sufficiently structured to suggest that 5 to 8 years of keeping should be beneficial.

Burghound 88-91

2021 Bachelet-Monnot Bourgogne Blanc Côte d’Or $94ea

There is enough reduction to push the fruit to the background. There is impressive richness and volume to the delicious flavors that are blessed with plenty of sappy dry extract on the lemon, clean and dry finale.

Burghound 86-88

Reds

2021 Bachelet-Monnot Maranges 1er Cru Clos de la Boutière $118ea

An earthier and more somber nose reluctantly displays its aromas of purple fruit, especially plum. There is more volume to the rich, velvety and solidly concentrated flavors that are more powerful and less refined on the solidly persistent and slightly firmer finale. This is also worth considering.

Burghound 89-92 ♥ Outstanding

2021 Bachelet-Monnot Maranges 1er Cru La Fussière $118ea

A more elegant and admirably pure nose freely offers up its aromas of red cherry, plum and violet along with a more subtle touch of earth. There is again excellent vibrancy to the beautifully delineated medium-bodied flavors that flash both a subtle minerality and a beguiling finesse on the balanced finale. This is a really lovely effort that makes one feel like drinking it now, though it too has the stuffing to repay a few years of aging. Worth considering.

Burghound 89-92 ♥ Outstanding Top Value

2021 Bachelet-Monnot Pommard Les Chanlins Rouge $184ea

A strikingly pure, cool and airy nose is comprised by notes of the essence of red pinot fruit, floral and discreet forest floor wisps. There is almost painful intensity to the chiseled and overtly stony medium weight flavors that possess excellent delineation on the refreshing, moderately austere and focused finale. This is a very good Pommard villages and worth your interest provided you are willing to cellar it for at least a few years first as it’s definitely compact at present.

Burghound 89 ♥ Outstanding

2021 Bachelet-Monnot Maranges Vielles Vignes $100ea

A slightly more deeply pitched nose reflects pepper and earth nuances on the equally and bright red and dark currant scents. There is both better volume and richness to the barely middleweight flavors that also conclude in a lightly rustic but more complex finale. This too could be approached young but it also has enough stuffing to repay a few years of keeping.

Burghound 88

2021 Bachelet-Monnot Bourgogne Pinot Noir $88ea

Classic ruby color. A fresh, bright and very pinot nose precedes attractively textured and vibrant lighter weight flavors that possess excellent delineation on the mildly rustic, linear and sneaky long finish. To enjoy young for its fruit.

Burghound 86

About Domaine Bachelet-Monnot

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. Their grandfather founded Domaine Bernard Bachelet et Fils in Chassagne-Montrachet and their father made the wines there.

Given the combination of exceptional vineyards, an excellent vintage, and the brothers’ 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 domain farms just over twenty hectares (50 acres) of vines. It is a mix of family-owned vineyards and longterm leased vineyards. Marc and Alex’s grandfather was a vigneron and created Domaine Bernard Bachelet et Fils in Chassagne-Montrachet. Their father, Jean-François Bachelet, made wine for most of his professional life at this domaine.

Following his studies at the Lycée Viticole in Beaune, Marc did internships at Domaines Lucien Muzard in Santenay and Parent in Pommard, as well as stints in the southern Rhône and in Australia. After similar studies, his younger brother Alex did internships at Domaines Nouveau in the Hautes Côtes and Bouzereau in Meursault, as well as at Monteillet in Côte-Rôtie. Both boys worked five harvests at their father’s domain prior to embarking on Bachelet-Monnot.

The seat of the domain is the family homestead in Dezize-lès-Maranges, just southwest of Santenay. In the vineyards, no herbicide is used and the rows are plowed regularly to manage weeds, aerate the soil, and cut the horizontal roots to encourage deep growth. 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 ageing 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.

In the Vineyard

Well we have little info on this. We’ll have to judge by site, vine age and what’s in the glass!

In the Winery

In terms of the winemaking, for the whites, the grapes are crushed before pressing and the juice ferments wild without settling. Maturation is in 350-litre barrels, with between 15 and 25% new wood and the wines spend their second winter in tank before bottling. For the reds, again, new oak is used sparingly. As Jasper Morris notes in Inside Burgundy, there is “no more cold maceration, a bit less sulphur, shorter vatting time with a few whole bunches. In short, a relaxation of control in order to allow more expression.” Apart from the Clos de la Boutière and Santenay Vieilles Vignes (which were destemmed), all were fermented with between 15 and 30% whole bunches, depending on the terroir.

Of note here, on trend with the rest of Burgundy we are seeing larger oak being used. This has the impact of reducing the rate of oxidation in barrel and moderating the impact of any new barrels compared to using barriques of 228L. The decrease in surface area to volume effectively lowering the oak units imparted. Deep dive into oak use in wine in the Wine Bites Mag “Q&A with Paul: “How does the percentage of new oak affect wine?”.

Where in the World is Domaine Bachelet-Monnot?

The Bachelet family Domaine is based in Dezize-lès-Maranges, southwest of Santenay at the southern tip of the Côte de Beaune. Domaine Bachelet-Monnot holds a suite of impressive vineyards in the Côte du Beaune.