Bachelet-Monnot Maranges 1er Cru La Fussière Rouge 2024

Bachelet-Monnot Maranges 1er Cru La Fussière Rouge comes from the largest premier cru climat in the appellation.

La Fussière lies at the very south of the Côte de Beaune next to Santenay, facing south towards the start of the Côte Chalonnaise on a slope between 290 and 400 metres of limestone-rich marl. With the addition of a new parcel in 2020, Bachelet-Monnot farms three hectares here with an average vine age of around 60 years, and this cuvée is assembled from 11 separate parcels. The brothers have always set out to make finer, more aromatic reds from the southern reaches of the Côte, and the limestone of this site serves that aim well. Fermentation is spontaneous, the proportion of whole bunches is judged parcel by parcel, and ageing takes place in barrel with a modest share of new wood. As Jasper Morris has written of this wine: if you don't know or don't rate Maranges, this is the wake-up call.

Broach it young or keep it four to eight years; try roast duck, braised beef cheek or Époisses. Serve 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: Limestone-rich, south-facing slope between 290 and 400 metres, from seven parcels of sixty-year-old vines
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 and a new parcel added in 2020. 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. La Fussière is its largest climat, covering almost 35 hectares and facing south towards the start of the Côte Chalonnaise on a slope between 290 and 400 metres. This cuvée gathers seven parcels of sixty-year-old vines within it.

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.