Ramonet: behind the acclaimed Burgundy estate plus 30 wines tasted

Out of magnum, this wine was almost impossibly youthful, with a bright lemon yellow color and a fresh, lemony scent that developed with time to show notes of butter and cream and with more time a rich, tropical note of fresh coconut water and starfruit sweetness. The wine has kept a lively acidity and a rich, silken texture that led to a lingering finish on the palate. This wine will last for decades in a proper cellar.

This thrilling bottle of Montrachet was made from the old vines of the domaine's parcel before they were grubbed up and re-planted. Almost thirty years of age when consumed, the wine was beginning to open up, showing mature notes of caramel, smoke, and truffle. However, there is also great mineral tension and thrilling acidity to balance the aromatic richness of the nose. Although this is ready to drink now, it will continue to hold at this level.

Here we arrive at the pinnacle of white wine, and the results are breathtaking. The initial impression is surprisingly approachable, with abundant fruit aromas of ripe apples and lemon peel with generous notes of vanilla, ginger, and smoke and a firm mineral underpinning. It is a wine of intense concentration and power on the palate with fabulous extract and vibrant acidity. Despite all the power, however, it never loses its elegance or finesse. Truly a marvel.

Although consumed at an almost sinfully young age, this wine was thrilling to drink. The initial attack was intensely concentrated, with pronounced notes of citrus peel and greengage plums accented with acacia blossoms and just a hint of vanilla spice. The aromas have a striking purity and should develop well. The texture is silky and fresh, with a snap and tension that balances quite well with the creamy, luxurious density of extract—a wine to age for fifty years.

A tremendously nuanced bouquet began with smoke and honey, candied mandarin peel, anise, and dried flowers on the initial attack. There was a beguiling mix of fresh and mature aromas that paired well with the richness and structure on the palate. The wine was mature, but certainly not past its prime. This was a glorious experience of white Burgundy at its peak, more than forty years on. Marvelous.

Domaine Ramonet owns just over a quarter-hectare of Montrachet on the Puligny side of the vineyard, just north of the Bouchard parcel. It consistently delivers one of the most profound wines on the planet. The 1996 vintage recently showed great complexity on the nose. Primary notes of citrus peel and tropical fruit were beginning to develop hints of smoke, truffle, and earth. The vibrant acidity supported this depth of flavor well, yet the wine still managed a dense, rich feel on the palate, with extraordinary concentration and immeasurable finesse.

The Bâtard is produced from three parcels, all on the Puligny side. This iconic wine in the portfolio is striking above all for its elegance. There is a graceful beauty to the ripe apple and apricot fruit with notes of hazelnut, white flowers, and a well-integrated bit of spice and butter from the cask ferment and 18 months of aging, although nothing is overdone here. The wine is admirable precisely because it has less butter and fat than some Bâtards show, even in 2018. There is impressive length here, but absolutely no heaviness. Masterful.

This Montrachet showed all the approachable, lush ripeness of this sunny vintage. The wine was incredibly concentrated on the nose, with aromas of ripe golden apples and notes of honey, marzipan, beeswax, coconut water, and vanilla. The wine shows an almost unctuous texture and full body on the palate, but enough acidity to bring it into balance. With its imposing length on the palate, this is a wine to last a half-century. Give this some time to show its full potential, and it will show you wonders.

This wine is possibly the rarest treat from Ramonet, produced from just 0.09 hectares of vines that are exchanged with Jean Chartron. The location further up the slope from Montrachet gives the wine a high-toned fruit of green apple and citrus with a pronounced saline minerality on the nose. The texture is notably lighter than the Bâtard or Bienvenues, but it retains in common with these a superb elegance and admirable integration of the influence of the cask aging. The lemony fruit is impressively persistent on the finish.

Among the most iconic Ramonet vineyards, this site on the slopes above Les Fairendes still has some of the vines planted by Pierre in the thirties. This old-vine fruit delivers a wine of impressive concentration. There is still a floral elegance typical of Ramonet, but there are also hints of ripe pear and white nectarine on the nose. The texture is firmly wound but not acerbic, the tension balanced by the ripe heft and extract of 2018. The superb balance carries this to a very satisfying finish.

The Bienvenues is produced from a 0.45-hectare parcel at the southernmost end of Bienvenues on the Bâtard border that was acquired by Pierre Ramonet in the 1950s. The wine has a beautiful definition of crisp lemon-scented fruit and bright acacia blossom aromas, and a brisk, refreshing texture. It lacks perhaps the density and heft of the Bâtard, yet it is a fully complete and vibrantly alive wine that resonates on the long, subtle finish.

This vineyard, located at the northern end of the appellation, is downslope from Les Chaumées. In 2018 it has given a rich, approachable wine with warm, approachable aromas of ripe apple, spice, and butter. The texture is dense and lush, with balanced acidity and an impressive concentration of extract. More massive than the wines further up the slope, this will be an easy wine to love and one that will drink reasonably early in life.

Produced from the Champ Jeandreau section of Morgeot, at the bottom of the premier cru slope, this is impressive, regal wine, with a ripe apple fruit laced with white blossoms and spice on the initial attack that opens with time on the palate. This wine shows great substance with a rich, creamy texture balanced by plenty of structure and vibrancy that lasts through a satisfyingly long finish.

Incredibly youthful more than twenty years after the vintage, with a zippy, fresh, lemony scent that slowly revealed hints of mineral, butter, fresh coconut juice, and passionfruit. On the other hand, this Bâtard in no way lacked the rich, creamy side of the appellation. On the palate, the wine was still tightly wound, with full body and crisp acidity. The impressive density and concentration carried the intense flavours from the beginning right through the very long finish.

The Boudriotte blanc is produced from the climat Les Fairendes, located reasonably high on the slope, reaching almost to Les Ruchottes. This superb terroir for white wine has provided in 2018 a result that seamlessly melds citrus, mineral, and ripe apple aromas and balances them with surprisingly fresh acidity, a lovely depth of flavour on the palate, and impressive weight and length.

From a third of a hectare here near the top of the slope, this vineyard provided a classic Puligny expression in 2018, with a lemon peel nose and plenty of flinty minerality, and a smoky edge. There is plenty of freshness on the palate and enough substance to make this a dynamic, mouth-filling wine with great length and style.

This wine is initially a bit restrained, but with time it opens to show delicate aromas of gooseberry and quince with a suggestion of chamomile. The texture is silky and very fine; there is surprising freshness for this vintage, no doubt due to the high position on the slope and the thin, rocky soils of this climat. For all its elegance, however, the wine still has backbone, grip, and depth.

Above Les Vergers and just next to Saint-Aubin, this vineyard has delivered ripe, concentrated fruit with an outstanding balance between the fruit and the structure. The initial attack reveals notes of acacia flowers and lemon peel that warm and open with time. The texture is rich but still surprisingly vibrant, and a fresh tension balances the creamy richness of the year.

The inaugural vintage of Ramonet’s rented vines in St. Aubin was nothing short of superb. This site, high on the slope as it turns into the combe has provided a wine that balances perfect ripe, warm apple fruit and racy citric acidity. The maturation using just a bit of new wood gives it a sheen and a spicy gloss that are entirely attractive. The balance and finesse carry straight through to the lingering finish.

This wine comes from village-level vines just down the slope from Bâtard- and Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet. The grapes have delivered a supple, accessible wine with aromas of ripe apple, hazelnut, chamomile, and spice. The texture is loosely knit, and it lacks the tension of some wines. However, the lovely floral character and the bit soft, supple texture make it very pleasant. The Enseignères is most often blended with a wine from Nosroyes to produce the village-level Puligny.

En Remilly has only been in the portfolio since 2014. This beautiful terroir has a south/southwest exposition and is located just as the Montrachet slope swings to the west. This rich wine has a great definition of ripe apple fruit accented with acacia, marzipan, and spice. The texture is pleasantly plump and waxy, but there is enough freshness to keep the wine in perfect balance. Truly a pleasure.

This wine is an interesting contrast to the En Remilly. It shows much more gunflint and smoke on the nose, along with a bit of smoke and a salty tang. The lemony fruit is very fine, although there is not as much breadth or heft as En Remilly. The wine, however, is lovely—crisp and refreshing, particularly in 2018.

This wine clearly shows the potential of this terroir for white wines, located as it is on the slopes above the village. There is a fresh, saline note and a lemony fruit set off by subtle hints of white blossom on the nose. The wine is substantial but not heavy on the palate, with a creamy intensity and lovely spice to the fruit that lingers on the impressive finish.

Produced from a blend of grapes from Les Masures, Les Benoîtes, Le Clos Roland, and Les Voillenots, this wine provides a superb introduction to the commune, with its forward lemony fruit accented with a bit of spice, a lovely, rich texture, and enough density to carry it to a lingering finish. Strikingly good at this level.

This wine is a reliably typical Aligoté, even in a warm year such as 2018. The initial attack reveals lovely lemony aromas with a hint of fresh green herbs about them and a touch of spice. On the palate, there is enough acidity to provide balance but no unpleasant tartness. Elegant and quaffable if not particularly long.

This reliable entry point for the producer is remarkably consistent, and 2018 is no exception. Produced mostly from fruit harvested in the flatter vineyards on the borders of the Chassagne itself, blended with a bit from Corpeau it produced a wine that is somewhat closed on the nose and fairly rich, almost fat on the palate.

This village-level vineyard is surrounded on two sides by the premiers crus of the Morgeot sector. The wine it delivers has a fantastic, forward aroma with ripe apple fruit and floral notes. The texture on the palate is approachable and friendly, with a supple, silky feel, balanced acidity, and a great deal of finesse on the finish. Elegant rather than powerful.