2019 Bachelet-Monnot Santenay Les Prarons Dessus Rouge

Domaine Bachelet-Monnot is a family affair and, for Burgundy, a young one. It was started in 2005 by brothers Marc and Alexandre Bachelet, who created the 53-acre domaine from land owned by their father and uncle. The vineyards are in the Maranges, Santenay and Puligny-Montrachet communes. The wines earn ratings in the low to mid-90s from reviewers, many of whom call the brothers among the best of the newest generation of Burgundian vignerons. In 2017 the Wine Advocate’s reviewer described his tasting at the domaine like this: “It was another superb set of wines from the domaine right from the commendable Bourgogne Rouge up to the spine-tingling Bâtard-Montrachet …. I strongly suspect (these wines) will represent some of the best values over the entire of the Côte d’Or this vintage, and if I were a millionaire…I would still buy them.”

Santenay is the southernmost appellation in the Côte d’Or. The appellation includes the communes of Santenay and Remigny and it has 813 vineyard acres. Both red and white wines can be made within the Santenay appellation, though in practice about 85% of the wine produced here is red. Pinot Blanc may be used in white wines, though most white Santenays are 100% Chardonnay. Though there are no Grands Crus, Santenay boasts 12 Premiers Crus. Among the best Premiers Crus vineyards are Clos de Tavannes, La Comme, Les Gravières and Le Passe Temps. Robert M. Parker Jr. has written that “good Santenays share a robust, tannic, earthy character with a bouquet that suggests cherry and strawberry fruit intertwined with the smell of sautéed almonds.” Clive Coates has noted that the white wines of Santenay “should be crisp, medium-bodied and fruity, less racy but fuller than Saint-Aubins, perhaps with a touch of spice…”

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.