Domaine de la Vougeraie : Bâtard-Montrachet Grand cru 2020

Characteristics and tasting tips for the Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru 2020 from Domaine de la Vougeraie

Tasting

Appearance

The appearance reveals a brilliant gold hue with emerald highlights.

Nose

The nose reveals remarkable aromatic complexity, expressing notes of fresh butter, warm croissant and fern. Aromas of dried fruit, delicate spices and honey unfold gradually, accompanied by touches of toasted almond and subtle vanilla contributed by the oak barrel aging.

Palate

On the palate, this white Grand Cru seduces with its opulence and textural richness. The enveloping structure reveals remarkable generosity, supported by perfectly balanced acidity that confers freshness and liveliness to the whole. The characteristic minerality of the limestone terroir manifests with elegance, while the finish persists at length, unveiling a complex progression of secondary flavors.

Food and wine pairing

This 2020 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru pairs beautifully with firm white fish such as monkfish, as well as noble crustaceans like lobster and spiny lobster. It also harmonizes with foie gras terrine, caviar, or free-range poultry served with a creamy mushroom sauce. Delicate white meats like pan-seared veal also make for a refined pairing, as do certain aged cheeses such as a mature Comté.

Service and storage

This 2020 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru is ideally enjoyed at a temperature between 12 and 14°C. The wine has a cellaring potential estimated between approximately 2023 and 2040. Although accessible relatively early, it will reveal its full complexity after 5 to 7 years of cellar aging.

An opulent and mineral white Burgundy Grand Cru

The estate

Created in 1999 by Jean-Charles and Nathalie Boisset, Domaine de la Vougeraie unites the family wine estates accumulated since 1964. Located in Premeaux-Prissey between the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune, this family estate today cultivates 44 hectares distributed across 72 plots covering 37 appellations, including nine Grand Crus. Managed by Sylvie Poillot since 2017, the estate stands out for its integral commitment to biodynamics since its creation, a philosophy that places respect for the terroir and soil health at the heart of its quality approach.

The vineyard

The Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru stretches across the communes of Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet in the Côte de Beaune. This exceptional terroir is characterized by thicker and more clay-rich brown limestone soils, dating from the Jurassic period. Situated at an altitude between 240 and 250 meters, the vineyard benefits from an east to south-east exposure favorable to optimal ripening of the Chardonnay. This particular soil composition gives the wine a characteristic structural richness and opulence, while preserving the elegance and minerality typical of the appellation.

The vintage

The 2020 vintage was characterized by extreme weather conditions in Burgundy, marked by pronounced drought and exceptional heat. Despite these challenges, the Domaine de la Vougeraie vineyards demonstrated remarkable resilience thanks to biodynamic practices. The estate adapted its harvest strategy with early picking and systematic maturity checks, allowing for the preservation of the freshness and liveliness of the grapes while obtaining optimal aromatic concentration.

Winemaking and aging

The 2020 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru comes from three distinct plots of the estate. Each plot benefits from individualized vinification in specifically sized wooden vats. The grapes are treated with extreme gentleness from harvest to final processing. Aging takes place in oak barrels for 18 months, with a moderate use of new wood (30%) favoring the maximum expression of the fruit rather than a woody dominance. The wine is neither fined nor filtered, thus preserving its natural biochemical integrity.

Grape

100% Chardonnay