Montrachet wines are all of the white variety, made from 100% Chardonnay grapes. The region produces some of the world’s best Chardonnay wines. These dry white wines are noted for their richness and structure, and a bottle can cost from $170 to $2900 dollars, with rarer vintages priced even higher.Many Montrachet wines are made in limited amounts - Domaine Leflaive’s Montrachet Grand Cru wines are a good example. Another example is Lucien Le Moine wine, which becomes instantly collectible upon release. The Montrachet DRC Domaine makes only two barrels of its Batard Montrachet Grand Cru a year. How is a Montrachet wine made? Every winemaker in Montrachet has adopted its own special winemaking methods. But the general steps in the process are similar.As an example, let’s look at producer Joseph Drouhin’s wine making practices in the Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche Grand Cru estate:The estate of Marquis de Laguiche is located on the Puligny side of the appellation. It has a very mild slope and excellent south-east exposure. The plantation density is 10,000 stocks per hectare - this helps in extracting as much nuance from the terroir as possible. How is the vinification done?The grape varietal is harvested by hand - in small open crates - to preserve the integrity of the fruit.They are then sorted. Sometimes, the grapes are sorted twice — once when being picked, the second time on the sorting table at the winery.Pressing is done very slowly. Juices from the last pressings aren’t used. The wine goes directly into barrels for fermentation after débourbage (decanting of white wine to minimize sediment).The wines are aged in oak barrels for 15 to 18 months - the wood of which is weathered for three years before use.Now, which are the great wine producers in Montrachet whose wines you should get hold of?
