Montrachet
Styles
Principal grape varieties
Terroir
Natural factors
- The relief of the Côte de Beaune is rectilinear, of tectonic origin, and extends in a general north-east/south-west direction.
- In the lower part, which accounts for the greatest area, the soils rest on a thin veneer of marls overlying a layer of less than one metre thick that is very rich in iron oxides, dated to the Upper Jurassic (Oxfordian).
- The soil as a whole rests on platy limestones of the Middle Jurassic (Callovian), and colluviation has masked the bedrock beneath a few decimetre-thick layers of calcareous and clayey material.
- The plots are located on a narrow strip at the lower part of the east/south-east-facing slope, at an altitude of approximately 260 metres.
- The nocturnal downslope airflow dynamics along the hillside protect it from cold air masses and thus shield it from frost and excess humidity.
Human factors
- The name appears in the thirteenth century in the form of the lieu-dit 'Mont Rachaz', though without any firmly established reputation at that time.
- In 1787, Thomas Jefferson placed Montrachet on the same level as Chambertin, already recognised for several centuries, during a journey through Burgundy.
- The communes of Puligny and Chassagne appended the name of their most prestigious cru to their own in 1878, becoming Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet.
- The vines are trained at planting densities exceeding 9,000 vines per hectare, with a grape variety composition based on the Chardonnay variety.
Product characteristics
- The wines display a vivid golden-yellow colour and combine finesse, firmness, and roundness in a perfect balance.
- The rich and complex aromas, underpinned by a minerality, are reminiscent of hazelnut and honey among a palette of intertwined sensations, with an exceptional aromatic length.
- These wines are distinguished by a very great ageing potential and evolve favourably over many years.
Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.
About this boundary
On the map, at overview zooms, this appellation is drawn as a silhouette of its vineyard generalised at 70 m from the INAO parcel delimitation; the parcels themselves appear as you zoom in.
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