From: Burgundy, France
Varietal: Pinot Noir

Taste & Critical Acclaim: This gloriously complex Pinot Noir has soaring aromas and flavors of wild raspberries, blood orange, red cherries, and a hint of oolong tea. It is bright, juicy, and silky, with a lip-smacking core of crystalline minerality. A red Burgundy that seamlessly marries grace, power, and elegance.

William Kelly in Wine Advocate: “Brothers Marc and Alexandre Bachelet continue to gradually refine their approach, building on their already considerable success. They now employ 350-liter barrels for their white wines and are less interested in cold macerations for their reds, concluding that the technique can result in excessive additions of sulfur dioxide. While the obvious collectibles in the portfolio are the Bâtard, Folatières and Referts, readers shouldn't neglect the terrific quality for a modest tariff offered by the domaine's Maranges and Santenay bottlings. The hearty reds from these appellations often bolstered négociant blends from grander appellations in days gone by, and the Bachelet brothers' judicious winemaking brings out all their neglected potential." (01/2019)

Pairing: This wine’s supple and intense approach and aromatic register with its distinguished finish mean it should be matched with slow-cooked dishes like braised veal or beef, to which its tannins will lend structure without being aggressive. Glazed or caramelized poultry in the Asian style (think Hoisin, oyster sauce, five spice, or soy sauce glazes- check out the recipe below for inspiration) would also give it a warm welcome for its meaty texture, as would homemade hamburgers.

Scallion Meatballs With Soy-Ginger Glaze
Recipe from Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hirsheimer
Adapted by Julia Moskin

“Alexandre and Marc Bachelet have been on fire over recent vintages…My budget would be invested in the outstanding Maranges premier crus such as Fussière and Clos de la Boutière that I strongly suspect will represent some of the best values over the entire of the Côte d’Or…and if I were a millionaire, I would still buy them. ”–Neil Martin, Vinous

“The 2018 tasting reinforced my view that not only is Domaine Bachelet-Monnot at the very forefront of white Burgundy production, but that they have made serious strides with their red wines too.” -Jasper Morris MW, InsideBurgundy.com

About. From their domaine in Dezizes-les-Maranges, brothers Marc and Alexandre Bachelet, oversee an enviable catalogue of top Côte de Beaune vineyards: St. Aubin En Remilly, the top sites in Maranges, Puligny 1er Cru Folatières, Puligny 1er Cru Referts, Batard Montrachet, Chassagne Montrachet, and some of the best parcels in Santenay. Since their first vintage in 2005, they have refined their approach to farming and winemaking to the point where they are now firmly established as two of Burgundy’s finest talents. The whites go through a long press before being fermented with indigenous yeasts in larger 350L barrels and are aged for 12 months in barrel and an additional 6 months in stainless steel tank before release. The comparisons to some of Burgundy’s elites make complete sense as the resulting wines are breathtakingly layered, racy, and achingly long. And like many of Burgundy’s best, the reds are of equal quality with an aromatic lift, grain and texture that makes them among the most compelling Pinot Noirs made in the Côte-d’Or today.

A Tour de Force
In 2005, brothers Marc and Alexandre Bachelet founded Bachelet-Monnot. In no time, their wines were turning the heads of even the most seasoned Burgundy tasters.

These are revelatory expressions of Burgundy. The amount of finesse and luminous mineral precision that they are able to tease out is astonishing. 

The domaine is in Maranges, a village at the southern limit of the Côte de Beaune. In many ways, the brothers’ work there is the beating heart of the estate. However, they have holdings in some of the greatest sites throughout the Côte de Beaune: St. Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly, Puligny 1er Cru Referts, and Bâtard-Montrachet. 

Seeing such exciting wines stretching from the margins to the pinnacle of Burgundy’s qualitative universe is amazing, from Bourgogne to Grand Cru. This is one of the emerging star domaines of Burgundy.

In January 2005, after years of traveling France and the rest of the world, gaining vital wine-making experience, two budding young vignerons, brothers Marc and Alexandre Bachelet, set up this Domaine that spans 10 hectares over the Maranges, Santenay, and Puligny-Montrachet communes, with a burning desire to work with nature to make the finest possible wines, Marc and Alexandre adopt a very natural, labor-intensive approach to wine-making. Soils are plowed, vine health carefully monitored, herbicides are forbidden, and strict de-budding is carried out to limit yields, whilst all grapes are hand-picked at optimum ripeness. This Domaine is a rapidly rising star. 50% new oak is employed for Grand Crus whilst much less is used for the rest of the range, which, along with using a mixture of larger-sized barrels alongside the traditional barriques, has been instrumental in eradicating oak impact on the flavor profile of the wines. The red Maranges is produced using a small proportion of whole bunches. From Bourgogne to Batard, these are some of Burgundy's most brilliant wines from two of its most exciting young winemakers.

About Santenay, general. Santenay and the surrounding area is not typical of the Côte de Beaune on the whole and has a wide range of soil types – sometimes producing deep red wines which are long-lived, and sometimes lighter, more conventional reds. The Santenay AOC status was instituted in 1937 and the region boasts 282 hectares for red production and a small amount of excellent white wine. The picture-postcard sight of the windmill of Santenay-Beauregard on its small hill provides an excellent picnic spot in a town that goes right back to Roman origins and initially came to be because of the spa waters – though the baths have sadly now closed. Fancy a little gambling? Then the casino at Bas-Santenay is the place for you, and from there, why not head out to the terrace to crown the day with a glass of the local wine?

More on the region. Santenay is the most southerly wine-producing commune of the Côte de Beaune in Burgundy, with its own communal appellation (created in 1937). The wines produced here are predominantly red and made from Pinot Noir, although a small quantity of Chardonnay is also produced.

Tasting profile
A typical Santenay red wine is more deeply colored than those from further north, although still the dark cherry color so characteristic of red Burgundy. The aromas are of licorice, red berries and violets, with the most perfumed examples also showing notes of rose petals.

Critical reception
The wines of the Santenay appellation are not held in such high regard as those from its northerly neighbors, as their style leans more towards rustic than refined. This is generally attributed to Santenay's particular terroir, which has a large proportion of marlstone – a factor it shares with the Côte Chalonnaise, just one narrow valley away.

Geography
Santenay is located at the very southern extremity of the limestone ridge (the Côte d'Or) which is home to Burgundy's best vineyard sites. The limestone soils so favorable for fine viticulture thin out just to the north of Santenay itself, but the commune still has its own share of Premier Cru vineyards. They are concentrated in its northernmost corners, where Santenay borders Chassagne-Montrachet.

The appellation also covers vineyards within the village of Remigny, just a short distance to the east of Santenay, although its wines are regarded as being quite different. Remigny is located below the limestone slopes, so its wines are more like those of the northern Côte Chalonnaise (Rully or Mercurey) than those from the rest of the Côte de Beaune. To the immediate west of Santenay lie the communes and appellation of Maranges. 

Terroir
Greyish limestones occupy the high ground up to a height of 500 metres.
Lower down the slope, starting at the 300-metre line, are oolitic limestones, white oolite, marls, kidney-shaped limestones, and lower oolite on a layer of marl. The location of the vineyards is ideal with exposures between East and South.

Climate and viticulture
The climate around Santenay is of continental type, with warm, dry summers and cool, extended winters. Because it is exposed on three sides, Santenay is affected more than other Côte de Beaune communes by westerly winds, which would otherwise be deflected by the Côte d'Or escarpment.

These are rarely strong enough to cause concern for Santenay's grapegrowers, but during flowering the vines certainly have a greater susceptibility to damage than those in the more sheltered vineyards further north.

This wine:
100% Pinot Noir
60+ year old vines
De-stemmed
Indigenous yeast
Aged in barrel (20% new)