Domaine Changarnier, Monthélie Blanc
Vintage: 2022
| Vintage | Product Code | Format | Closure | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | DC503B22 | 6 x 75 | Natural Cork | Available |
Producer
Domaine Changarnier is located in the heart of Monthélie, a village sandwiched between Volnay and Meursault. Brothers Claude and Antoine Changarnier, whose family have owned the domaine since 1720, have been integral to establishing the domaine’s modern reputation since taking over in 2004.
Domaine Changarnier’s five-hectares of vines have been certified organic since 2019 with all vineyard operations carried out manually and horses used to plough the vineyards and prevent soil compaction. According to Claude, this sustainable approach is key to preserving the signature freshness of the domaine’s wines. The whites are mineral and elegant, made with just 10 - 20% new oak and larger foudres to ensure a lovely texture that emphasises the site rather than the barrel maker. Their red wines are equally refined, with grainy tannins and a lovely balance.
Domaine Changarnier’s Monthélie Villages Blanc is sourced from their two parcels of 25-year-old vines planted on white clay soils. It is partially fermented in sandstone amphorae (20%) before ageing in a combination of these, 500-litre barrels and Stockinger foudres. The resulting wine displays vibrant citrus fruit and fresh acidity, making it both immediately accessible and suitable for ageing. The Monthélie ‘Le Clos’ hails from a walled plot which used to be the domaine’s garden. Fermented and aged in used oak and sandstone amphorae, this wine balances lemony acidity with a generous richness and could easily be mistaken for a Meursault.
The Monthélie ‘Pierrefitte’ hails from a steep lieu-dit just across the border from Volnay 1er Cru ‘Clos des Chênes’ at 325 metres elevation on white clay soils. 30% whole bunch and very gentle extraction during the ferment allow the sense of place of this remarkable site to shine through and produces a wine defined by lovely freshness, crunchy red fruit character and velvety tannins. The Monthélie 1er Cru ‘Meix Bataille’ comes from 45-year-old vines planted on deeper limestone clay soils, resulting in a wine with greater richness and power, more akin to a Pommard.
Vineyards
The fruit for Monthélie Village Blanc is sourced from a small block of 20-year-old Chardonnay vines located on west-facing slopes at 200 metres above sea level. The soils are deep and predominantly clay.
Vintage
Following the challenges of 2021, the 2022 vintage in Burgundy was characterised by abundance and excellence. Despite heatwaves and the largest drought in Burgundy since 1976, 2022 emerged as a generous vintage, with excellent quality and yields far exceeding the three previous years. The growing season began with a cold winter, which delayed budburst and ensured most vineyards escaped April frosts unscathed. Optimal spring conditions followed and the vines grew quickly, with flowering taking place in mid-May. The summer was hot and dry, yet rain showers at the end of June replenished water reserves and allowed vines to thrive. Harvest began at the end of August and lasted until mid-September and the quality of the fruit harvested was excellent, with vibrant aromatics and balancing acidity
Vinification
The grapes are handpicked and transported in small baskets. They are gently pressed before being transferred into oak barrels for fermentation with indigenous yeasts. The wine will age in oak for a year, 20% of which is new, the barrels are blended into tanks where they will rest 4 months until bottling on the following January.
Tasting Notes & Technical Details
The Monthélie blanc displays a nose of ripe citrus fruits with notes of fresh buttery pastry. The palate is textural, with a round and rich mouthfeel balanced by a bright acidity that carries through the long finish.
Alcohol (ABV)
13%
Other wines from this producer
Producer | Wine | Product Code | Features | Style | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domaine Changarnier | Monthélie 1er Cru `Meix Bataille` | DC501 | R | ||
| Monthélie `Pierrefitte` | DC502 | R | Factsheet | ||
| Monthélie Blanc `Le Clos` | DC504 | W | Factsheet |