From: Burgundy, France

Varietal: Chardonnay

The lost hamlet of Blagny–up in the hills between Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault in Burgundy’s Côte d’Or–is home to Domaine Comtesse de Chérisey. Monks were the first inhabitants to plant vines in the 14th century. This almost magical, lost-in-time corner of the world boasts a unique microclimate, with a slightly different average temperature, exposition, and soil than the rest of Burgundy.

All of the de Chérisey premier cru vines are at least 60 years old and they encircle their ancient cellar in the Hameau de Blagny. Their Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Hameau de Blagny comes from vines planted in 1950 in clay and limestone soils on the south side of Blagny, level with the village, just above Puligny Truffières. It is a wine that combines the power and richness of Meursault with the ethereal finesse of Puligny.

"The Burgundies of Laurent and Hélène Martelet are now in the pantheon of the great whites of the Côte d’Or, a fact that is pretty widely recognized in the wine world today. Their years of quiet toil in the Hameau de Blagny, high on the slope below the forest, kept their heads in the clouds and their feet firmly rooted among their vines. They found little need to look down jealously at their neighbors, who now look up to them respectfully. This great cru sits above La Truffière, and delivers a full-throttle Puligny experience. Rich, layered, and racy, it is flamboyantly noble Chardonnay." –Dixon Brooke