Domaine Berthenet
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Domaine Berthenet,
Ready, but will keep,
François Berthenet is a name to watch in the still somewhat underrated appellation of Montagny. This wine, which François describes as “emblematic” of his family’s domaine, is blended from numerous parcels (primarily on clay-limestone soil) around the village of Montagny-lès-Buxy. It is raised exclusively in stainless steel. The nose is explosive and seductive – a mélange of stone-fruit, citrus and white pepper. The palate is taut and mineral but with a hedonistic pineapple twist on the finish. A versatile food wine, it works a treat with prawn and avocado salad. Drink now to 2020.
Will Heslop, Burgundy Buying Assistant (summer 2019)
Will Heslop, Burgundy Buying Assistant (summer 2019)
Domaine Berthenet,
Ready, but will keep,
The domaine's Tête de Cuvée is blended from all but one of its vineyards. The 2018, however, draws heavily on fruit from the calcareous slopes adjacent to the winery, to provide the steely freshness that is the wine’s hallmark. Raised exclusively in stainless steel, it is characterised by bright citrus aromas, shimmering acidity and a pithy, saline finish. Drink now to 2023.
Domaine Berthenet,
Ready, but will keep,
Like Mont-Cuchot, this parcel faces east and sees plenty of sunshine, but the soil here is limestone (rather than clay) and replete with fossils. The resulting wine is less expansive and more mineral than Mont-Cuchot, with a concentrated white-fruit core and steely acidity. It’s raised exclusively in used oak, contributing texture to the mid-palate and a seductive toasty note to the finish. Drink 2021-2027.
Domaine Berthenet,
Ready, but will keep,
East-facing, with relatively deep clay soil, the Premier Cru Mont-Cuchot vineyard is invariably the first harvested. It is aged in a combination of tank and two- to three-year-old barrels (making up 30% of the blend). The 2018 is an ebullient, expressive wine, with hints of tropical and stone fruit on the nose; but it gains tension towards the finish, suggesting it will age well. Drink 2021-2026.
Domaine Berthenet,
Ready, but will keep,
This is François’s most powerful, full-bodied cuvée, owing to the parcel’s reddish soils rich in iron oxide. For all its heft, the old vines here deliver freshness to the palate too. It’s aged exclusively in demi-muid, of which a quarter are new: they mark the nose at present but can’t disguise the panoply of enticing stone and tropical fruit aromas beneath. Drink 2022-2028.
Showing 1-5 out of 5 items
Based in the village of Montagny itself, the Berthenet family has been growing grapes for around four centuries, although the estate in its current form was set up in 1974. Initially it grew grapes for the co-op, but the decision was taken in 2001 to leave and begin bottling under its own name. They work sustainably, allowing grass to grow between rows and working the soil rather than using herbicides. They farm 20 hectares in total, 90 percent of which is planted with white grapes. As well as still wines, they also make Crémant, managing the whole process themselves. Fruit is machine-harvested, which allows them to react quickly to difficult conditions. This was particularly useful in 2013 when wet weather caused rot but they could pick quickly to obtain healthy fruit, and 2015 when maturity arrived suddenly and fruit had to be picked quickly to preserve freshness. It is also impractical to keep a harvesting team for the four weeks required to harvest each parcel at perfect ripeness. François Berthenet is the current winemaker, and has been in place since 2009.