Top Montrachet and Santenay 2019 en primeur wines
Charles Curtis MW rounds up his top wines from the 2019 vintage from Santenay and across the Montrachet appellations.
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Scroll down to see Charles Curtis MW’s top-scoring Montrachet 2019 and Santenay 2019 wines
See individual overviews for:
Côte de Beaune, Côte Chalonnaise, Côte de Nuits & Mâconnais
Montrachet 2019
Gerard Boudot, winemaker at Etienne Sauzet, was extremely pleased with his 2019s: ‘We had beautiful pH levels between 3.18 and 3.28, and elevated levels of tartaric acid between 5.5g/l and 6.5g/l.
The wines were harvested at about 14% potential alcohol but, using biodynamic methods, I can harvest ripe and still keep the spine of acidity. I pick when the grapes are good to eat: I like density and freshness, but not the freshness of early picking – I like more white peach than lemon.’
In Chassagne, Pierre-Yves Colin started harvest early on 6 September, and picked grapes from 13.6% potential alcohol in the Hautes Côtes to 14.7% in Bâtard-Montrachet. However, the concentration of the acidity still brought the wines into balance.
Thierry Pillot at Domaine Paul Pillot said his domaine was seriously impacted by the frost, losing up to 70% in some areas. He began to pick on 9 September, at 13.5% potential alcohol, with plenty of acidity balancing good phenolic maturity.
Santenay 2019
In Santenay, Jean-Marc Vincent lost 40% of his crop to frost but was able to press some of the second-generation buds into service, although he said this gives a heavier result. He began to pick on 12 September and harvested the Pinot Noir at an average of 14% potential alcohol. He used tressage (braising the excess foliage) to reduce yields naturally to about 25hl/ha, following the advice of Charles Lachaux.
Top Montrachet 2019 whites by quality
- Domaine des Comtes Lafon, Grand Cru Montrachet
- Etienne Sauzet, Grand Cru Montrachet
- Henri Boillot, Grand Cru Montrachet
- Bouchard Père et Fils, Grand Cru Le Montrachet
- Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, Grand Cru Chevalier-Montrachet
- Michel Niellon, Grand Cru Chevalier-Montrachet
- Etienne Sauzet, Grand Cru Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet
Ones to watch
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- Domaine Jessiaume (Santenay)
- Jean-Marc Vincent (Santenay)
See Charles Curtis MW’s top Montrachet 2019 and Santenay 2019 tasting notes and scores
See also
Full Burgundy 2019 vintage report
Chablis 2019: Full vintage report and top-scoring wines
Domaine des Comtes Lafon, Montrachet Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, 2019

Lafon's third of a hectare parcel in the south-east corner of Montrachet on the Chassagne side faces south, and the wine produced is often voluptuously...
2019
BurgundyFrance
Domaine des Comtes LafonMontrachet Grand Cru
Etienne Sauzet, Montrachet Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, 2019

Produced with fruit purchased from two parcels on the Chassagne side, one exposed fully to the south and the second a bit east, neighbours with...
2019
BurgundyFrance
Etienne SauzetMontrachet Grand Cru
Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, 2019

Less rich than this producer's Bâtard even though it was picked the same day. Thinner soils and higher elevation combine to produce a wine with...
2019
BurgundyFrance
Pierre-Yves Colin-MoreyChevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru
Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, 2019

Produced from very old vines planted in the centre of the slope on the slightly south-facing Chassagne side. The fruit was harvested in perfectly healthy...
2019
BurgundyFrance
Pierre-Yves Colin-MoreyBâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Henri Boillot, Montrachet Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, 2019

At Boillot they normally make a single, 350-litre barrel of Montrachet, lightly crushing the fruit before pressing in a basket press. The results in 2019...
2019
BurgundyFrance
Henri BoillotMontrachet Grand Cru
Etienne Sauzet, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, 2019

A wine that manages to combine elegance and power, the grapes coming from a tiny old-vine parcel. The fruit is pressed very slowly without crushing,...
2019
BurgundyFrance
Etienne SauzetBienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Domaine Michel Niellon, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, 2019

From the slopes above Montrachet, planted in 1962. The result shows aromas that meld citrus, tropical, and white stone fruits with a strong sense of...
2019
BurgundyFrance
Domaine Michel NiellonChevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru
Etienne Sauzet, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, 2019

In order to retain freshness, Benoît Riffault picked the fruit for this textbook Chevalier-Montrachet from the top terrace first. The fruit is very ripe but...
2019
BurgundyFrance
Etienne SauzetChevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru
Bouchard Père & Fils, Montrachet Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, 2019

Bouchard’s holding here is superb: 0.90ha on the edge of the Puligny side at midslope between Ramonet and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. In 2019, Bouchard...
2019
BurgundyFrance
Bouchard Père & FilsMontrachet Grand Cru
Etienne Sauzet, Puligny-Montrachet, 1er Cru La Truffière, Burgundy, France, 2019

From a 0.21ha parcel high on the hill above Folatières, almost in Blagny. This has a pure citrusy character on the nose, with lime peel...
2019
BurgundyFrance
Etienne SauzetPuligny-Montrachet
Etienne Sauzet, Puligny-Montrachet, 1er Cru Les Combettes, Burgundy, France, 2019

Superb - this is among the most complex and round, if not necessarily the most easy to approach in its youth. A substantial wine that...
2019
BurgundyFrance
Etienne SauzetPuligny-Montrachet
Domaine Michel Niellon, Chassagne-Montrachet, 1er Cru Clos de la Truffière Les Chaumées, Burgundy, France, 2019

Produced from old vines growing high on a steep slope in Les Chaumées that face east, opposite Montrachet. The results have dense notes of smoke,...
2019
BurgundyFrance
Domaine Michel NiellonChassagne-Montrachet
Etienne Sauzet, Puligny-Montrachet, 1er Cru Folatières, Burgundy, France, 2019

From 0.27 ha located at the closest possible point of Folatières to Chevalier-Montrachet. This is a bit less open on the nose, but there is...
2019
BurgundyFrance
Etienne SauzetPuligny-Montrachet
Henri Boillot, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, 2019

From a 0.32ha parcel that straddles the line between Puligny and Chassagne, beginning at the bottom of the slope and running up to the top,...
2019
BurgundyFrance
Henri BoillotBâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Vincent Girardin, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, 2019

From a parcel of 60-year-old vines, the fruit is lightly crushed and fermented in cask (30% new), with a high proportion of lees before a...
2019
BurgundyFrance
Vincent GirardinBienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Etienne Sauzet, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, 2019

From a parcel next to Bienvenues on the Puligny side. The fruit is whole cluster pressed before being run into cask along with most of...
2019
BurgundyFrance
Etienne SauzetBâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Henri Boillot, Puligny-Montrachet, 1er Cru Clos de la Mouchère, Burgundy, France, 2019

The Clos de la Mouchère is a domaine monopole of nearly 4ha. The vines date to before the Second World War and have not been...
2019
BurgundyFrance
Henri BoillotPuligny-Montrachet
Domaine Dujac, Puligny-Montrachet, 1er Cru Les Combettes, Burgundy, France, 2019

Produced from vines of about 60 years of age (Alec Seysses of Dujac isn’t entirely certain, since the planting records have been lost), the vines...
2019
BurgundyFrance
Domaine DujacPuligny-Montrachet
Domaine Paul Pillot, Chassagne-Montrachet, 1er Cru La Romanée, Burgundy, France, 2019

From a parcel planted at the very top of the slope in thin soils by Thierry’s grandfather more than 70 years ago. This was fermented...
2019
BurgundyFrance
Domaine Paul PillotChassagne-Montrachet
Domaine Anne-Marie & Jean-Marc Vincent, Santenay, 1er Cru Clos des Gravières, Burgundy, France, 2019

Gravières is among the best climats in Santenay, and these 70-year-old vines represent Vincent’s largest holding, at 1.23ha. The vines are trained using tressage to...
2019
BurgundyFrance
Domaine Anne-Marie & Jean-Marc VincentSantenay
Bouchard Père & Fils, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, 2019

From a 2.33ha parcel of Chevalier-Montrachet on the terraces just above Le Montrachet. Slightly cooler temperatures and a bit less soil make the wine less...
2019
BurgundyFrance
Bouchard Père & FilsChevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru
Louis Jadot, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, 2019

Les Demoiselles is next to the main block of Chevalier, above both Montrachet and the lieu-dit Le Cailleret, and the Jadot holding is 0.51ha. The...
2019
BurgundyFrance
Louis JadotChevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru
Domaine Jean-Noël Gagnard, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, 2019

This Batard is given a full, rich treatment, fermenting in cask (80% new) on native yeasts, followed by two winters on the lees. It is...
2019
BurgundyFrance
Domaine Jean-Noël GagnardBâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Laurent Ponsot, Montrachet Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, 2019

Ponsot purchases must for his white wine production and does the fermentations himself in used casks, without further additions, and the wine is matured without...
2019
BurgundyFrance
Laurent PonsotMontrachet Grand Cru