Puligny-Montrachet

Puligny-Montrachet (Puligny-Montrachet) is a commune in the Burgundy sub-region of côte de Beaune (Côte de Beaune) and the eponymous communal appellation.

The glory and the money he brings white wine from Chardonnay, considered the best not only in Burgundy, but also one of the greatest dry white wines in the world. It is about this wine Alexandre Dumas said that his “need to drink your hat off and standing on my knees.” Here are allowed and red wine from Pinot Noir, but is produced in modest quantities.

Within the boundaries of this appellation are 17 vineyards are premiers CRUs and 4 Grands CRUs (white): Chevalier Montrachet (Montrachet Chevalier), Bienvenu-Battery-Montrachet (Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet), Le Montrachet (Le Montrachet) and Battery Montrachet (Batard-Montrachet)

Once the village was simply called Puligny. But in 1879 it added Montrachet to celebrate the status of the site.

Mont rachet in the inventory of 1839, she Mont Rachaz, she Mont Rachat in earlier references – literally “bald mountain” in old French.

Not the most aristocratic name for a steep vineyard, but this is a story. It’s all about appearance these magical slopes, which barely rise above the plain, and without the slender ranks of vines really would be like a landscape fading.

The apparent success of Chardonnay in this region is the result of several factors, but a crucial set of them – from those that are described by the concept of terroir: the combination of topography, soil composition and climatic conditions. All this gives an opportunity for a sensible husbandman to grow berries, can give birth to great wine in the hands of a skilled producer. In General, the earth will reward, if people do not disappoint.

Generations of winemakers like moles, he studied the terrain, painstakingly laying out on the map the parcel boundaries, which, in their opinion, the most suitable for the production of high quality grapes.

The development of technology in recent years has allowed much progress in this work and in understanding practical aspects of the relationship to the land of wine. The most important contribution of calcareous soils and climate of Puligny already quite evident, although still not fully understood.

In 1984 the INAO (the government body responsible for the French system of appellations) officially marked and classified the lands of the commune, highlighting 17 of the vineyards of Puligny-Montrachet premiers CRUs.

If the wine is made from fruit from these vineyards, the label can show off the inscription Premier Cru (1er Cru), and if a particular vineyard from this list – and his name in the same font size (or less) that the name of the commune. For example, wine from the vineyard Le Folater:

Of course, the best sites were considered prestigious, long before the introduction of the classification, which is logical, because on this knowledge and introduce classification.

The best of the best in the 1930s has won a top category Grand CRU. Two of the four such sites entirely located in Puligny: this is Chevalier Montrachet (Montrachet Chevalier) and Bienvenues-Battery-Montrachet (Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet). And the other two about equally divided between Puligny-Montrachet neighboring the commune of Chassagne-Montrachet: Le Montrachet (Le Montrachet) and Battery Montrachet (Batard-Montrachet). So the two communes can put on the label the name of these two vineyards.

Once again, for those who have not adapted to the Burgundian classification:

Montrachet Grand CRU is a separate vineyard, located simultaneously in the neighboring communes: Chassagne and Puligny, each of which can specify it on the label.

Because the vineyard of the status of Grand CRU is the appellation itself, then it will be placed:

Puligny Montrachet is a municipality in which there are the usual vineyards. And if the label has the words Puligny-Montrachet, but there is no mention 1er Cru or Grand Cru – that is the usual vineyards in the region, and a shared communal appellation:

Both the commune (and Chassagne Montrachet) are located within the appellation of côte de Beaune, the southern part of the wine region côte D’or that does not have its appellation – it’s just important for wine making part of the territory of Burgundy.

Typically Burgundian soil rich in limestone, especially on the slopes of the côte d’or. But the slopes are good not only for this. They turned East, putting the vineyards in the morning light, important for full maturation of the berries. Besides, the hill removes the vines from shallow groundwater, causing it to develop a root system that is essential in the production of good wine.

The terroir of Puligny leads to subtle differences of wines from the local production of Chassagne-Montrachet and Meursault, adjacent to the South and North respectively.
In Puligny minerality more pronounced and felt by the structure is more than clear wines Chassagne and more perfumed wines of Meursault.

The southern vineyards villages Blanc (North-West of Puligny) enter the area of the appellation of Puligny-Montrachet, but only for its white wines. Red wine is produced here under its own appellation Blanc CRU (Premier Cru Blagny).