Bachelet-Monnot Maranges 1er Cru Clos de la Boutière 2024

Bachelet-Monnot Maranges 1er Cru Clos de la Boutière comes from a single parcel of 90-year-old vines in a clos the domaine half owns.

Clos de la Boutière sits on the Santenay border at the very end of the Clos Roussots vineyard; the name most likely derives from an old French term for the end of the field. Bachelet-Monnot owns half of the clos, and the wine is drawn from one parcel of 90-year-old massale-selection vines that deliver ripeness and power. There is more clay here than in the domaine's other Maranges sites, and it can be felt in the added richness of the wine. Marc and Alexandre Bachelet destemmed the fruit entirely for this cuvée and used no new oak, letting the site speak plainly. Fermentation is spontaneous, as throughout the cellar, and ageing takes place in seasoned barrels. The result is a premier cru of real complexity and mineral drive from an appellation still far less celebrated than its neighbours to the north.

Give it three to eight years and serve with roast beef, mushroom risotto or washed-rind cheese at 16–18°C.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.

Type: Red Wine
Style: Medium-bodied, Aromatic, Fine-grained
Grape Varietal: Pinot Noir
Tastes Like: Comparable to a fine Pinot Noir, but more savoury and earthy than a fruit-driven New World example
Alcohol Percentage: 13%
Closure: Cork
Size: 750mL
Appellation: Maranges 1er Cru AOC
Region: Maranges, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France
Terroir: An enclosed clos on limestone-rich slopes at the southern end of the Côte de Beaune
Aging: Raised in used casks before a period in cement vat, with a proportion of whole bunches
Serving Temperature: 16–18℃ – Serve slightly below room temperature

The Bachelet brothers are better known for their Chassagne and Puligny whites, but have built a substantial holding in Maranges, now three hectares with an average vine age of sixty years. The aim throughout has been a finer, more aromatic style of red from the Côte’s southern reaches.

Maranges lies at the far southern end of the Côte de Beaune, next to Santenay, and has long been overlooked; the appellation’s reds are increasingly worth attention as growers there work with more precision. Clos de la Boutière is an enclosed premier cru within the appellation, and the walls of a clos tend to give a consistent, clearly defined expression of the site from one year to the next.

Pork: Perfect with roast pork, smoked sausage or a Burgundian potée
Poultry: Excellent with coq au vin, roast chicken or guinea fowl
Mushroom: Pairs beautifully with a mushroom pie, ceps or morels
Charcuterie: Ideal with terrines, jambon persillé and cured meats

Cîteaux: A Burgundian abbey cheese, supple and savoury alongside the wine
Soumaintrain: Washed rind and gently pungent, meeting the wine’s earthiness
Comté: Nutty and firm, softening the wine’s tannin
Chaource: Soft and lactic, complementing the wine’s lighter frame

Potée Bourguignonne (Burgundian Pork and Vegetable Hotpot)

Ingredients (Serves 6):

• 800g smoked pork shoulder or collar
• 4 Morteau or other smoked sausages
• 200g smoked bacon in one piece
• 1 small savoy cabbage, quartered
• 4 carrots, halved lengthways
• 3 turnips, quartered
• 6 potatoes, halved
• 2 leeks, cut into lengths
• 1 onion studded with 3 cloves
• 1 bouquet garni
• Cracked black pepper
• Dijon mustard, to serve

Instructions:

1. Put the pork shoulder and bacon in a large pot, cover with cold water and bring slowly to the boil.
2. Skim the surface thoroughly, then add the clove-studded onion and bouquet garni.
3. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 90 minutes.
4. Add the carrots, turnips and leeks and cook for a further 20 minutes.
5. Add the potatoes and the sausages and cook for 20 minutes more.
6. Blanch the cabbage separately in salted water for 10 minutes so it keeps its colour, then add it to the pot to warm through.
7. Season with plenty of cracked pepper. The smoked meats should provide enough salt.
8. Lift everything onto a warm platter, moisten with a little broth and serve with Dijon mustard.

The winter dish of the Burgundian countryside, and a natural fit for Maranges. These are reds built for the table rather than the cellar: enough structure to handle smoked pork, and enough freshness to work with cabbage, turnip and a sharp spoonful of mustard.