Bâtard-Montrachet

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The plots are located on the lower part of the east/south-east-facing slope, at an altitude of approximately 250 metres.
• The bedrock is composed mainly of thinly bedded Middle Jurassic (Callovian) limestones, masked by an irregular accumulation of clayey colluvium that is relatively poor in limestone pebbles.
• The stone-clearance piles known as murgers bear witness to the shallow depth of the clay layer.
• The climate is dominated by a cool oceanic tendency, tempered by continental or southerly influences channelled along the Rhône–Saône corridor, with annual rainfall of around 750 millimetres and a mean annual temperature of 10.5 °C.
• The appellation area extends across the communes of Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet, to the south-west of the town of Beaune, in the département of Côte-d'Or. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)

• A court ruling of 1921 established the hierarchy of the grands crus and officially confirmed that wines produced from Bâtard may be labelled under the name Bâtard-Montrachet.
• The vines are trained at planting densities exceeding 9,000 vines per hectare, with a varietal composition based on Chardonnay.

• The wines display a golden-yellow colour, aromas of hazelnut and honey, and floral notes, with a rich, unctuous texture and a long aromatic finish.
• These wines are distinguished by a notable ageing capacity, with a minimum potential of 10 to 15 years and more than 20 years in the finest vintages.

• The clay soils contribute to the roundness of the wines, while the thinly bedded limestone provides effective drainage that is conducive to water regulation.

Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.

Sources

• Product specification (BO Agri, PDF) — approved 30 novembre 2011, JORF 3 décembre 2011
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — BIVB