Monthélie
Monthélie is an often-forgotten corner of the Côte de Beaune producing both reds and whites, overlooked in favour of its more famous neighbours Meursault and Volnay. The vineyards are a little higher up the slope, and in the past the grapes sometimes struggled to ripen. As the climate warms, they are coming into their own, and Domaine Douhairet-Porcheret is leading the charge.
Domaine Douhairet-Porcheret
Founded almost three hundred years ago, this domaine was brought to prominence in the last century by Armande Douhairet, affectionately known as ‘Miss’. She was one of the few women to run a Burgundy domaine at that time, and forged a reputation for distinctive, terroir-driven wines. Her adoptive son André Porcheret was joined by his grand-daughter Cataldina in 2004. Today Cataldina, together with her partner Vincent, produces vibrant, rich wines from Monthélie and Meursault that represent great value – not a term you hear much these days in Burgundy.
The 2019 Vintage in Monthélie
Yields in 2019 were only slightly below the norm, which Cataldina ascribes to having a large proportion of old vines – they rode the vagaries of the extreme weather far more successfully. The wines are ripe, rich and beautifully fresh.