Bachelet-Monnot Santenay Vieilles Vignes 2021

Santenay was among the hardest-hit villages of the Côte de Beaune in 2021. Hence, this grower has no Santenay Blanc this year and just one red cuvée instead of the usual three; the single vineyards of Les Charmes Dessus and Les Prarons Dessus were blended into this wine. Les Charmes is a site just under the Clos Rousseau 1er Cru on the southeastern slopes of Santenay. While it’s reasonably close to Clos de la Boutière, the terroir is markedly different. Here, the red clay and rocky limestone soils produce aromatic, racy reds of great finesse and freshness. Les Prarons Dessus is one of Santenay’s northernmost vineyards, adjacent to Chassagne 1er Cru Morgeot and just beneath Clos de Tavannes. The chalky soils here are rich in red clay, which, combined with the old vines, gives a darker, rounder Santenay with more flesh and finer tannins. Old vines in Le Chainey and Les Bras, on rocky mountain soils above the domaine’s Maranges vines, also contribute. The sum of its parts is ultra impressive for this commune and this level.