Montrachet
Styles
Principal grape varieties
Terroir
Natural factors
- Red, very stony clay soils: Upper Jurassic (Oxfordian) marls over Middle Jurassic (Callovian) flaggy limestones, with an iron oxide-rich horizon. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Plots situated in a gentle concavity, east/south-east facing, at approximately 260 metres altitude, on a narrow strip divided by a fault into two sectors.
- Climate with a cool oceanic tendency (~750 mm/year, annual mean 10.5 °C), tempered by continental and southern influences channelled through the Rhône-Saône corridor.
- North-east/south-west tectonic relief (Côte de Beaune): limestone plateaux to the west (400–500 m) separated from the Bresse plain to the east (~200 m) by a Tertiary rift valley.
Human factors
- The cru rose to prominence in the 18th century under the de Clermont-Montoison family; in 1787 Jefferson ranked it on a par with Chambertin.
- Planting density above 9,000 vines/ha; exclusively Chardonnay B; élevage oriented toward ageing potential.
Product characteristics
- Bright golden-yellow in appearance; nose of hazelnut and honey; mineral character with a well-balanced finesse and roundness on the palate.
- Exceptional ageing capacity, developing over many years; a minimum of 10–15 years, and more than 20 years in the greatest vintages.
Terroir / wine link
- Red soil combining clays, iron oxides, stoniness, and limestone across 8 ha, with a subsoil that ensures ideal water regulation.
Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.