Oscar Wilde once said: "The French are so proud of their wines that they have named some towns after Grand Cru vineyards." This mainly refers to the Burgundy region. Among these "Grand Cru" towns, Chassagne and Puligny are undoubtedly the cities of top white wines, as they are home to the world's finest Chardonnay vineyards: Montrachet.
Montrachet is a "Grand Cru" vineyard, covering less than 8 hectares, shared by only 17 producers, including Romanée-Conti, but only 6 actually own the land! Today, we'll introduce Guy Amiot, a century-old winery sharing vineyards with Romanée-Conti, and one of the true owners of the Montrachet Grand Cru vineyard!
Domaine Guy Amiot, located in the village of Chassagne Montrachet, was founded in 1920 by Arsène and Flavie Amiot, who were then living in Paris and running a laundry business. Thanks to their wealthy clientele from their laundry business, their wines sold consistently, leading to the winery's rapid growth. They subsequently acquired Les Vergers, Le Clos Saint Jean, Les Caillerets, and Dents de Chien (which later became le Montrachet Grand Cru in 1937). In the 1930s, Amiot opened a wine shop in Paris to sell their wines, an innovative move at a time when selling all their wine to merchants was common practice. Now in its fourth generation, the current owners are brothers Thierry and Fabrice Amiot. Thierry manages the vineyards and winemaking, while Fabrice manages the winery and sales.
Unlike other winery families that have split up, Thierry and Fabrice, as one of the six major landowners in Montrachet, have jointly managed the winery since taking over in 1985, ensuring the family business continues to thrive. The winery now produces 26 wines, including the world-renowned Le Montrachet, considered the king of white wines. Its vineyards are scattered across the villages of Chassagne-Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet, Saint-Aubin, Meursault, Santenay, and Bouzeron.
Region
Chassagne Montrachet, located in the Côte de Beaune region of Burgundy, enjoys the title of one of the world's top Chardonnay white wine villages, alongside Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault. It is also one of the highest-expressing regions for Pinot Noir.
Les Caillerets is located south and above the village of Chassagne-Montrachet. It is a large Premier Cru vineyard (10.86 hectares) comprised of four terroirs: En Caillerets (5.11 hectares); Chassagne (1.14 hectares); Les Combards (0.65 hectares); and Vigne Derriere (3.76 hectares). Within Vigne Derriere is another vineyard called Clos du Caillerets.
Cailleret (commonly referred to as "Les Caillerets") is one of the most important Premier Cru vineyards in Chassagne-Montrachet. It is situated on the hillside of the Côte d'Or, just south of Chassagne-Montrachet, and is entirely planted with Chardonnay.
The name is a collective term encompassing several appellations that can use their own names on the labels or simply "Cailleret" (if it's a blend within the Cailleret appellation, or if the producer prefers to). These vineyards are situated on the southern edge of the village of Champs-Gains, built into the hillside overlooking the Champs-Gains below, extending to the bush-covered Côte d'Or, and further out to a forest. The Les Fairendes and Les Grandes Ruchottes vineyards are located not far on the southern slopes.
"Cailleret" refers to the cobblestones (French "cailloux") found in many Burgundy vineyards, particularly prevalent here. Like the Caillerets vineyards of Volnay or Puligny, the topsoil here is shallow chalky soil with a slight clay component. This skeletal soil, combined with the enviable southeast-facing slope, allows for both morning sunshine and protection from the later heat, creating exceptionally favorable terroir. The vineyards here used to be a rather haphazard area, but now they are all planted with Chassagne's Chardonnay.
Cailleret Premier Cru wines are generally considered among the best of Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru wines, although they are still some distance from reaching the price or popularity of Chassagne Grand Cru wines.
Winemaking
Guy Amiot wines are clear and clean with vibrant fruit aromas. The proportion of new barrels is about 30% (Le Montrachet has a production of only one barrel, so the proportion of new barrels is 100%). It does not emphasize the flavor of oak barrels. After aging in barrels for a year, the wine is transferred to stainless steel tanks to rest. The vineyards are still managed in the traditional way of planting vines, allowing the wine to fully reflect the terroir.
