Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

The life partnership of Laura Coffinet and Philippe Duvernay began like myriad other unions in Burgundy—two, generations-old winemaking families woven around a small, exceptional parcel of handed-down vines. Similar beginnings aside, Domaine Coffinet-Duvernay (est. 1989) have managed to stand apart from their neighbors in that their vineyard holdings reside in illustrious village of Chassagne, in the southern Côte de Beaune. Domaine Coffinet-Duvernay farms just seven vineyards in Chassagne, including the famed Grand Cru Bâtard-Montrachet. The estate encompasses seven hectares across the appellation in total, four of which are dedicated to its outstanding white wines, in particular Chassagne-Montrachet, and three hectares dedicated to red wines. This specialist estate produces beautifully crafted wines that capture the intense aromas and flavor of their distinguished terroir and which are capable of ageing for decades. Bastien, the couple’s son, has been working in the winery since 2012—the next generation to carry the torch for this unique property.

Straddling both the communes of Puligny and Chassagne, Bâtard-Montrachet is composed of classic argilo calcaire, a blend of clay and limestone rock from the Jurassic geological era. Rich in minerals, excellent drainage capability, it is a perfect terroir for the production of profound Chardonnay.

Grapes are hand-harvested at optimum ripeness in small bins, and carried to the winery for a gentle pressing in the pneumatic bladder press. The must is allowed to settle for 24 hours (debourbage) to allow the gross lees to settle out, and the wine descends by gravity into small oak barriques for primary and malolactic fermentations. The must is stirred (batonnage) very rarely during malolactic fermentation, as Philippe Duvernay prefers to allow the wine to develop without any oxidative notes. The wine is aged 15 months in new oak barrels and then bottled.

One of the best in the world, this wine is rich and viscous, with a honeyed fruit intensity, a substantial richness in body and depth, and a lingering finish of white flowers, mineral notes, and wild mushrooms.