'...that's a great selection in 2021!' BILL NANSON

Xavier Monnot has two passions: making wine and hunting. If there’s a third, he hasn’t told me. He has a wry sense of humour that I appreciate, so this is one visit I always look forward to. Despite the difficult 2021 season, Monnot has excelled himself. “There is half the normal crop… in 2021, Xavier Monnot’s whites surpass his reds, a steadfast set of Chardonnays with freshness and charm, crowned by a fine Puligny Folatières and Meursault Charmes. NEAL MARTIN

Really a great showing from these wines – all different – that’s a great selection in 2021! BILL NANSON, Burgundy Report

2021 Vintage: The 2021 white burgundy vintage can be summed up concisely and thusly: the good news is that the best wines are nothing short of brilliant; the bad news is that finding them will require Sherlock Holmes-level sleuthing or, barring that, being best buds with your local wine purveyors!...As to other vintages that might reasonably compare stylistically to 2021, in my view it’s necessary to go all the way back to 1993 to find a real match. The 1993 whites, which I would observe have aged impeccably well, had everything that the 2021s do, especially the elements of density, acidity and youthful austerity that enabled them to stand the test of time so well. More recently, probably the best match would be 2014, though with one important distinction, which is to say density as the 2014s, lovely as they are, are not especially dense BURGHOUND

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I like Neal Martin’s opening line; ‘Xavier Monnot has two passions: making wine and hunting.’ When you walk into his tasting room in Meursault two things immediately stand out – his hot red Rolls Royce of a meat slicer and a couple of hefty antlers on the wall. Also, his solid stature is imposing, but then he beams a smile at you and all’s good – he’s the guy you want to stand next to when there’s trouble brewing in the bar. He’s happy and hardworking, having inherited a swathe of prime plots from his grandparents, with Meursault forming the nucleus for whites, expanding to Puligny and the hill of Corton.

The style of Monnot is flavour-centric, there’s nothing anemic about these white Burgundies yet they carry tension thanks to a judicious line of acidity and minerally veins which all come down to their pedigreed sites. They proudly wear their terroir on their sleeve.   

Monnot embraces traditions while also adopting trends such as larger format oak vessels- if it will benefit the wine's expression. He bottles by the moon phases, farms organically and is a prodigious plougher in the vineyards to aerate the soils and breathe life into the vines (as opposed to spraying chemicals).

To the wines, Les Grandes Coutures Bourgogne is a single plot within Meursault, next to Limouzin and just behind Jean-Marc Roulot’s winery. As you know Bourgogne can come from anywhere in Burgundy so this single-site expression from Meursault is unique. Higher up is his Monthelie plot, Les Duresses Blanc which Neal Martin warns ‘Don't ignore this little gem.’ It’s delightfully lifted and chiselled, a study of elegance and minerality in its delivery. Back in Meursault Les Chevalières is considered a ‘stylish’ vineyard according to Jasper Morris MW and could merit a higher classification though it turns a little to the north – which as we know with global warming these cooler sites are becoming the preferred. It’s a touch reticent in youth, as Nanson says it’s ‘bubbling with energy, then sustaining a really long finish…classy wine, super.’

And his 1er Cru Folatieres is from the neighbouring village of Puligny Montrachet. It’s damn fine, in fact, Neal Martin scored this on par with his Corton-Charlemagne and Jasper Morris MW considers this to be one of the finest 1ers in Puligny. Monnot has prime vines in the preferred upper reaches of this vineyard. Neal Martin puts it succinctly, ‘Frankly, this is better than a lot of grander names..’

Throughout the tasting, Xavier’s relaxed demeanour comes out. He’s thankful for the cards life has dealt him and backs this up with hard work in the vineyard and thoughtful winemaking work. He remarks, ‘If you are happy, you’ll make happy wines. Burgundy is about being happy.’ It’s a nice mindest -  I’d be very happy too if I were the owner of some of the world’s most expensive farming land. There is a wholesome pleasure to these wines, they express themselves with charisma. 

If you’re able to grab some of these Burgundies then do, they’re guaranteed missiles of delight and detail. Yields were shattered in 2021, Monnot lost 50% of the crop. We have a small clutch of these special Burgundies, bottle limits apply.

Order 6 bottles and I'll take an extra 5% discount or grab a dozen and you’ll receive a further 10% discount - please email [email protected]

There are only 3 bottles of 1er Cru Folatieres Puligny Montrachet available.
 

Cheers

Gabrielle