Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Macherelles・Jean Claude Bachelet 2017

Superb wine created by young and talented brothers

Brothers Benoit and Jean-Baptiste of the Bachelet family run the domaine, which dates back to 1648, in the hilly area of ​​Saint-Aubin, adjacent to Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet. The domaine name comes from the brothers' father, Jean-Claude, and they produce 60,000 bottles of wine annually from their 10 hectares of vineyards. We practice organic grape cultivation (biodynamic since 2015) and winemaking in a natural state as much as possible without any modification, producing wines with strong character that bring out the individuality of the terroir.

The Bachelet brothers have been engaged in wine making in earnest since 2000. His father, Jean-Claude, has now retired and is in charge of managing the domaine. Their goal is to create wines that are gentle on nature and that express well the characteristics of the terroir. A white wine with sophisticated fruit flavors and mineral richness, and a red wine that is very elegant and has potential. It is a style that can be enjoyed immediately even if you drink it now, and will become even more elegant as it ages. In 2002, Bienvenue Batard-Montrachet, created by Bachelet, received a high rating of 19/20 in the French wine magazine "Guide Hachette", making it a promising domaine that can represent the region.

5 types of red and 16 types of white
The domaine produces 5 reds and 16 whites from 4.5 hectares each in Saint-Aubin and Chassagne-Montrachet, and 1 hectare in Puligny-Montrachet, grown on stony limestone soils. It is made from grapes rich in minerals. The average age of the vines is 40 years, and all vines are hand-picked. The new brewery, established in 2010, has also installed a fruit sorting table, and through thorough fruit selection, only healthy fruit is brewed using traditional methods. Malolactic fermentation takes place slowly, and both the red and white wines are aged for 18 months. The key is that it survives two winters before bottling. Although few producers use this method, the wine closes during the winter and reopens in the spring, repeating the process twice to produce wine that maximizes the benefits of barrel aging. The barrels are also made from wood that has been dried for 36 months.