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Wine Description
The Story
Located in the Côte des Blancs region of the Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet is the largest of the five Grands Crus of the Côte des Blancs, with eastern sun exposure and chalky soil. This Chardonnay wine is fermented and aged for an average of 18 months in oak barrels.
Soil and aspect are crucial to Grand Cru vineyard siting, and soils vary widely in the Côte de Beaune. The Grand Cru white Montrachet is perfectly situated on a strip of east-facing limestone for an intense wine of great depth and aging potential. Surrounding Grands Crus include Chevalier-Montrachet, on stonier soil, and Bâtard-Montrachet, on heavier soil. At the northern border of the Côte de Beaune, the hill of Corton produces both a white and a red Grand Cru: the white on the upper south- and west-facing slopes on brown marl soil with limestone washed down from above; the powerful red is produced on a band below the white. Following are the Maison Louis Jadot Côte de Beaune Grands Crus: Corton Charlemagne Corton-Grèves (red) Corton-Pougets (red) Bâtard-Montrachet Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Chevalier-Montrachet Chevalier-Montrachet Les Demoiselles Montrachet
Wine Information
Bâtard Montrachet is located at the point where villages of Puligny Montrachet and Chassagne Montrachet converge. It borders the Bienvenues Bâtard Montrachet vineyard and is right below the Montrachet's one. It is exposed to the sun from the east, and sits on a terroir composed of chalky soil. It is also the largest of the five Grands Crus.
It is fermented and aged for an average of 18 months in oak barrels before bottling. This vinification highlights the unique qualities that come standard from the fruit in this great vineyard.
winemaker's comments / gastronomy
Bâtard Montrachet is a full bodied wine, rich and powerful. It stuns the drinker with intense flavor of almonds, ripe apple, white flowers, honey and spices. In addition, the length in the mouth is remarkable.
Batard Montrachet is the perfect partner for elegant dining: foie gras, appetizers, lobsters, scallops.
This appealing wine derives from the vintage of the challenges. A cold weather in winter was followed by a cold and wet spring. The summer enjoyed ideally warm and sunny weather conditions until the heavy storms rolled over the area in late August and September causing severe rot problems. Towards the end of September the weather improved and the harvest ended as a large one and especially good for whites. Jadot nailed the vintage with their wonderful Bâtard-Montrachet.
Vintage 1996
1996 VINTAGE in Burgundy
Maturity levels were in general high following a long hot summer. The wines from the famous Pinot Noir have an intense ruby red colour with lush red fruit aromas. They are wines that are comparable with the outstanding 88s and 89s. The whites are just as outstanding full-bodied with elegant vibrant Chardonnay fruit and sweet white flower and grilled nut aromas. These are wines that have the potential to age magnificently.
Each harvest we hope for three things, favorable weather conditions, healthy grape clusters and high sugar levels. The 1996 harvest provided all of these. April was particularly sunny and brought about an early bud burst (18th of April). Following this we had what can be described as a flash flowering which leads to good pollination, creating high yields.
Arean had low rainfall levels, a sturdy breeze (which kept rot to a minimum) and a long ripening period. These factors created high sugar levels and good acidity within the grapes. Cloud cover in August, combined with the coldest September on record meant that the sugar levels were exceptionally high and so was the acidity: 12% potential alcohol with 5.5g of acidity for Corton Reds and 13%-14% potential alcohol with 6g of acidity for Corton Charlemagne.
As a result, most are very pleased with the 1996 vintage. The reds have an intense color, good tannin structure and concentrated Pinot Noir flavor. The white wines are also impressive, containing plenty of rich fruit character, a crisp acidity and are already showing an attractive bouquet.