Chevalier-Montrachet
Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France
Located immediately above the ne plus ultra Chardonnay vineyard of Le Montrachet, Chevalier-Montrachet is one of five white wine Grands Crus clustered around the hallowed hill of Mont Rachet in the commune of Puligny-Montrachet.
Covering around 7.3ha, Chevalier-Montrachet is notable for its elevation (c.300m above sea level) and relatively stony clay-marl soils. This distinctive terroir tends to yield a finer, more elegant style of Chardonnay than most – though still with the body and structure that make it second only to Le Montrachet in terms of its profound complexity and ageability.
The name Chevalier-Montrachet is a reference to the historical division of the vineyards of a local nobleman, the Seigneur de Puligny, who distributed his holdings three ways: the vineyards taking the name ‘Chevalier’ were bequeathed to his eldest son; those taking the name ‘Bâtard’ to his illegitimate, or bastard, son; and those taking the name ‘Les Pucelles’ (‘the maidens’) to his daughters.
Though divided among numerous owners, among the most prominent producers in Chevalier-Montrachet are Domaine de Montille and Domaine Leflaive.
