Bachelet-Monnot Chassagne-Montrachet 2022 750ml

Chardonnay from Chassagne-Montrachet, Cote d'Or, Burgundy, France

A Côte de Beaune village of Burgundy most famous for its beautifully textured and powerful whites, Chassagne-Montrachet reaches farthest south in the Côte d’Or, save for the village of Santenay. It has three Grands Crus vineyards: Le Montrachet, Bâtard-Montrachet and Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet. Le Montrachet and Bâtard-Montrachet overlap with and are (confusingly) shared with the village of Puligny-Montrachet. But Chassagne-Montrachet bears sole ownership of the Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru.

The beauty doesn’t stop there as the village has a great many outstanding Premiers Crus wines and village level wines. Most famous Premiers Crus vineyards include Les Chenevottes, Clos de la Maltroie, En Cailleret and Les Ruchottes. Also, village level wines offer many lovely examples of what Chassagne-Montrachet has to offer, but at more approachable price points and perhaps less demand of waiting.

The best sites in Chassagne-Montrachet have complex soils of sedimentary rock and limestone (with less marl). Whites, which are by law composed of 100% Chardonnay (as in all classified white Burgundy from Côte d’Or), have steely power, bright and concentrated citrus, stone or tropical fruit characteristics and attractive textures ranging from plush to tactile, grippy and mineral-driven.

There is some fine Pinot Noir produced from the village. These wines tend to be high-toned and earthy, with wild herb aromas and suave tannins.

Reviews and Accolades

91-93 Points/Vinous
The 2022 Chassagne-Montrachet Village has a delightful bouquet: chai tea mixed with citrus fruit, elegant in style with the 25% new oak deftly integrated. The palate is well-balanced with lemon rind and orange zest on the entry and fine weight. It’s very harmonious with a nuanced, spicy finish. Totally delicious and nudging Premier Cru in quality.Alexandre Bachelet greeted me at the winery in Maranges. Recent vintages have been a treasure trove of supremely well-crafted wines, both whites and reds, that have garnered a strong and loyal following. “I like the substance in the reds in 2022, though for the whites, the 2021 is more ‘tendu’ [tense]. We started the picking on August 25 with the whites and September 1 for the reds. After that, we changed between the white and red parcels. It was a classic vinification with yields around 40hL/ha up to 55hL/ha, alcohol levels around 12.8% to 13.2% for both colors.” Standouts here include a stunning Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatières that must surely rank as one of the finest from that vineyard. It actually slipped past the Bâtard-Montrachet…it’s that good.