From their domaine in Dezizes-les-Maranges, brothers Marc (left) and Alexandre (right) Bachelet, oversee an enviable catalog of top Côte de Beaune vineyards: St. Aubin En Remilly, the top sites in Maranges, some of Puligny-Montrachet’s finest, Chassagne-Montrachet, and jewels in Santenay. Since their first vintage in 2005, they have refined their approach to farming and winemaking to the point where they are now firmly established as two of Burgundy’s brightest talents. The comparisons to some of Burgundy’s elites make complete sense as the resulting wines are densely layered, racy, and achingly long. The reds are equally stunning, with an aromatic lift, grain, and texture that makes them among the most compelling Pinot Noirs made in the Côte-d’Or today.

The best way to understand how groundbreaking the work of these brothers is by climbing to top of the Maranges Premier Cru La Fussière with Marc and Alexandre. This impressively steep slope sits adjacent to pieces of jagged limestone and a wild forest at close to 400+ meters altitude. Making your way up, it becomes seriously rocky around 300-350 meters, with a reddish iron-tinged clay and limestone scree. This is a dangerous place to work and they insist on plowing it themselves, knowing only too well the risk of flipping a tractor by hitting big chunks of stone with your blades.

The mountain home of La Fussiere is both extreme and exhilarating. Standing up here conjures a gratifying ‘top of the world’ sensation, provoked by the sleek freshness of the breeze, the raw beauty of the steep hillside, and these charismatic brothers.

The reds and whites here are crunchy acid bombs, completely edgy, rugged, and breathtaking. Sure it’s impossible to ignore the magic of the more famous wines they craft, but the real keystone to the Lewis and Clark like legend the brothers are building in this emerging part of Burgundy, is the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir they carve from Maranges and Santenay. Find any example of the textured and mouthwatering beauty Marc and Alex are pioneering from these unheralded villages and revel in the bracing Burgundy of Bachelet-Monnot.

A TIMESTAMPED OUTLINE OF THE INTERVIEW:

0:04 – History of Maranges

2:34 – History of Domaine Bachelet-Monnot

5:58 – How Bachelet-Monnot Pioneered Maranges Blanc (Premier Cru La Fussière)

9:53 – Re-Planting of Chardonnay

12:24 – Marc & Alex’s Winemaking Philosophy for the Fussière Blanc

16:38 – The Style of Fussière Blanc

19:39 – Maranges Rouge ‘Vieilles Vignes’

21:45 – Use of Whole Cluster

25:08 – Use of Wood & Barrels

28:15 – Maranges Rouge 1er Cru ‘La Fussière’

31:31 – Maranges Rouge 1er Cru ‘Clos de la Boutiere’

33:00 – Parcels in Santenay

34:31 – Santenay Blanc

37:24 – Santenay ‘Les Charmes Dessus’ & Santenay ‘Les Prarons Dessus’

42:00 – Puligny-Montrachet, Bachelet-Monnot

47:18 – Maranges Rouge ‘Vieilles Vignes’, Bachelet-Monnot

50:27 – Santenay Rouge ‘Les Prarons Dessus’

54:04 – The 2019 Vintage

THE WINES

Maranges Blanc 1er Cru ‘La Fussiere’, Bachelet-Monnot

• 30+ year old vines
• The highest elevation vineyard in Maranges
• 300-400m altitude
• Indigenous yeast
• Élevage in 350L barrels (20% new)
• Aged for 12 months in barrel + 6 months in tank

 

Maranges Rouge ‘Vieilles Vignes’, Bachelet-Monnot

• Lieu dits: Les Artaux, Chamery
• 40+ year old vines
• 250-300m altitude
• Red clay and chalk soil
• 20% whole cluster
• Indigenous yeast
• Aged in barrel (20% new)

Maranges Rouge 1er Cru ‘Clos de la Boutiere’, Bachelet-Monnot

•  Adjacent to Santenay 1er Cru Clos Rousseau
• 250-300m altitude
• 80+ year old vines
• Red clay and chalk soil
• 15% whole cluster
• Indigenous yeast
• Aged in 350L barrels (15% new)

Santenay Blanc, Bachelet-Monnot

• From 4 parcels in Santenay
• Mostly from lieu dit Les Bras
• Parcels are a continuation of Maranges 1er Cru Fussiere
• Very chalky parcels
• 30+ year old vines
• Indigenous yeast
• Élevage in 350L barrels (20% new)
• Aged for 12 months in barrel + 6 months in tank

Santenay Rouge ‘Les Charmes Dessus’, Bachelet-Monnot

• Just beneath 1er Cru Clos Rousseau on the Maranges side of Santenay
• 60+ year old vines
• 15% whole cluster
• Indigenous yeast
• Aged in 350L barrels (15% new)

Puligny-Montrachet, Bachelet-Monnot

• From 4 parcels in Puligny
• Lieu-dits: Les Meix, Corvée des Vignes, Noyer Bret, Les Houlières
• 30+ year old vines
• Indigenous yeast
• Élevage in 350L barrels (20% new)
• Aged for 12 months in barrel + 6 months in tank

Santenay Rouge ‘Les Prarons Dessus’, Bachelet-Monnot

• Adjacent to Chassagne 1er Morgeots, just beneath Clos se Tavannes
• 40+ year old vines
• Red clay and chalk soil
• 15% whole cluster
• Indigenous yeast
• Aged in 350L barrels (15% new)