Puligny-Montrachet

Puligny-Montrachet lies in the southern Côte de Beaune, some fifteen kilometers from Beaune, between Meursault and Chassagne-Montrachet. In 1878 the village added to its own name that of its most famous vineyard, Montrachet, in which neither t is pronounced. In 1685 the vines above the old Gallo-Roman road were Pinot Noir; Chardonnay took over in the eighteenth century and today covers almost the entire vineyard.

The commune counts four Grands Crus, all white and grouped together on the boundary with Chassagne. Montrachet and Bâtard-Montrachet are divided between the two villages; Chevalier-Montrachet, the highest on the slope, and Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet, the smallest of the four, belong to Puligny alone. Montrachet means “bald hill.” According to tradition, the names Chevalier, Bâtard, and Pucelles recall a medieval lord of Puligny who divided his lands among his eldest son, an illegitimate son, and his daughters.

North of the Grands Crus, the 17 Premier Cru climats follow one after another. The vineyard lies mostly between 230 and 320 meters, facing east and southeast, on limestones and marls; the soils, thin higher up, grow deeper toward the plain. Some climats climb as far as the hamlet of Blagny, shared with Meursault: there the white remains Puligny-Montrachet and the red is called Blagny.

In youth the whites, pale with green glints, are scented with hawthorn, lemongrass, and hazelnut over a background of honey, often with flint as well; on the palate they are smooth, fresh, and persistent. With age, almond, toast, and candied fruit emerge. The available bottles are listed below.