Domaine Francois Berthenet Montagny Les Coeres

Based in Montagny-les-Buxy, this domaine is run by Francois Berthenet who has recently taken over from his father Jean-Pierre. The family can trace its history here back four centuries but the domaine itself was established in 1974 when Jean-Pierre's father Jean first purchased a few hectares of vineyards. Initially all the grapes were sold to the cooperative in Buxy but over time, as new parcels were acquired, quality was improved and in 2001 Jean-Pierre decided to set out on his own. He built a new winery and with the assistance of his son Francois works some 18 hectares of vines spread over a number of individual vineyards. Mindful of their heritage, the Berthenet's were the first producers in Buxy to farm sustainably with limited use of chemicals. Francois is of the belief that careful attention in the vineyard is the secret to healthy fruit with little or no intervention.

Chardonnay,

Not available

This remarkable wine has impressive fruit and complexity. Full of fruit, especially peach, apricot and ripe pear, it is rounded and mouth filling with a delicate nuttiness and attractive minerality. The finish is delicate, yet long and expansive. It is an exceptional Chardonnay more than a little reminiscent of its highly priced cousins to the north in the Cote d'Or.

It will happily accompany all types of charcuterie platters, shellfish and seafood and its natural zest makes for a suitable marriage with lighter cream or herb sauces.

Nolan - From the Spotlight On French White Wines & Their Global Influences blog

I would love to introduce you to some of the fabled wines of Meursault, or perhaps one of the Montrachets, Puligny or maybe even Chassagne, but the truth is, even the village level wines from these appelations are beyond my budget these days. This is Bourgogne after all, the holy land of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, where you can find some of the most expensive real-estate and wines in the world. Instead, I have chosen a humbler appellation, that of Montagny in the Côte Chalonnaise.

99% of the wines produced in the commune of Montagny are Chardonnay based. Chardonnay is their bread and butter, and they do it very well. There are no Grand Cru sites in Montagny, but they have a particularly high proportion of Premier Cru vineyards. The wines are typified by a little more body and slightly higher acidity than the whites from other Chalonnais appellations.

The reason for the added richness is in the vineyards being very slightly further South, marginally warmer and sunnier leading to riper berries. The freshness on the other hand is down in a break in the hills to the West, which funnels breezes to the vineyards and cools the grapes on an evening.

Francois Berthenet took over his father’s vineyards around Montagny and follows a minimal intervention philosophy on the farm. They were the first producers in their village of Buxy to farm sustainably with limited use of chemicals. Francois is of the belief that careful attention in the vineyard is the secret to healthy fruit with little or no intervention.

For his premier cru “Les Coeres” expression, Francois has aged his wine in a combination of old, and a small percentage of new oak barrels. The result is a richer style with full ripeness of fruit. Flavours include brioche, peach, apricot and baked pear, this Chardonnay is more reminiscent of its highly priced cousins to the North in the Cote d'Or.

The opulent character of the Les Coeres makes this the perfect wine for your roast chicken or coq a vin blanc.