2021 Domaine François Berthenet Montagny Blanc 'Les Platieres' 1er Cru

100% Chardonnay from the oldest plots of a 4.5 acre, 35 year old vineyard located around 500 meters to the southwest of Montagny-lès-Buxy village on gentle east-facing slopes at the center of the appellation. Partly aged in barrel and partly in demi-muid with plenty of battonage. Pours a beautiful golden color with a charming, elegant nose filled with delightful aromas of lime, grapefruit, jasmine, and a hint of grilled almonds. On the palate, it delights with a perfect blend of generosity and liveliness, culminating in a refreshing lemony finish.

François Berthenet and his dad Jean-Pierre run this domaine in Montagny-les-Buxy, the principal town in the Montagny appellation. Although the Berthenets can trace their history in the region back more than four centuries (during which time grapes were inevitably cultivated), the domaine was created in 1974 when Jean Berthenet purchased his first hectares planted with Chardonnay and Aligoté along with another parcel of Pinot Noir. Originally, all the Berthenet grapes were sold to the cooperative in Buxy. Even though he was not making wine himself, Jean sought to raise the quality of his grapes by selecting vines from his own vineyard to graft onto newly acquired parcels. 

In 1991 the torch was passed to Jean-Pierre, who continued to acquire more parcels of vines while selling the entire production to the co-op. In 2001, with his vineyards in place and producing excellent grapes, Jean-Pierre decided to leave the cooperative and set out on his own. The next year he built a new winery above the village with temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks and some oak barrels. A bladder press was purchased to further enhance quality. Today Jean-Pierre's son François is fully part of the domaine, working the vineyards, assisting with the winemaking and selling wine through the independent growers group. They now farm 18 hectares of vines, spread over a score of parcels throughout the commune.

The Berthenets were the first producers in the village to work sustainably, and for years have attempted to limit their chemical interventions in their vineyards. François firmly believes that if one pays close attention to the vineyard during the growing cycle, there is less necessity to sort grapes during the harvest. Even so, not every grape harvested is allowed to pass into the press. Two employees are on hand to sort any unhealthy fruit.