France · Burgundy · Cote de Beaune · Puligny Montrachet White · Still · wine-wine · 1079070
Lowest offer: 20858.20 HKD (Buy)
Offers: 51 · Bids: 0
| Price / case | Vintage | Packing | Qty | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51205.00 HKD | 1986 | 1 x 75cl | 1 | hk / Hong Kong |
| 197191.50 HKD | 1994 | 3 x 1.5L | 1 | hk / Hong Kong |
| 85564.60 HKD | 1997 | 1 x 1.5L | 1 | hk / Hong Kong |
| 152893.95 HKD | 1998 | 3 x 1.5L | 2 | hk / Hong Kong |
| 41486.50 HKD | 1999 | 1 x 75cl | 2 | hk / Hong Kong |
| 62616.40 HKD | 2000 | 1 x 1.5L | 1 | hk / Hong Kong |
| 68259.40 HKD | 2001 | 1 x 1.5L | 2 | hk / Hong Kong |
| 100320.00 HKD | 2001 | 3 x 75cl | 1 | hk / Hong Kong |
| 92796.00 HKD | 2002 | 1 x 1.5L | 2 | hk / Hong Kong |
| 25602.50 HKD | 2002 | 1 x 75cl | 1 | hk / Hong Kong |
| 23784.20 HKD | 2002 | 1 x 75cl | 2 | hk / Hong Kong |
| 93642.45 HKD | 2002 | 3 x 75cl | 1 | hk / Hong Kong |
| 62574.60 HKD | 2003 | 3 x 75cl | 1 | hk / Hong Kong |
| 2612.50 GBP | 2004 | 1 x 75cl | 1 | uk / United Kingdom |
| 36564.55 HKD | 2004 | 1 x 75cl | 1 | hk / Hong Kong |
| 6357.78 GBP | 2005 | 1 x 1.5L | 1 | uk / United Kingdom |
| 38978.50 HKD | 2005 | 1 x 75cl | 1 | hk / Hong Kong |
| 2612.50 GBP | 2005 | 1 x 75cl | 1 | uk / United Kingdom |
| 154242.00 HKD | 2006 | 6 x 75cl | 3 | hk / Hong Kong |
| 194056.50 HKD | 2007 | 6 x 75cl | 1 | hk / Hong Kong |
| 2621.91 GBP | 2008 | 1 x 75cl | 1 | uk / United Kingdom |
| 224967.60 HKD | 2008 | 6 x 75cl | 1 | hk / Hong Kong |
| 30096.00 HKD | 2009 | 1 x 75cl | 2 | hk / Hong Kong |
| 3605.25 GBP | 2010 | 1 x 75cl | 1 | uk / United Kingdom |
| 197066.10 HKD | 2010 | 6 x 75cl | 1 | hk / Hong Kong |
| 19304.39 GBP | 2011 | 1 x 3L | 1 | uk / United Kingdom |
| 89347.50 HKD | 2011 | 3 x 75cl | 1 | hk / Hong Kong |
| 66880.00 HKD | 2012 | 1 x 1.5L | 1 | hk / Hong Kong |
| 100320.00 HKD | 2012 | 3 x 75cl | 1 | hk / Hong Kong |
| 203775.00 HKD | 2013 | 6 x 75cl | 1 | hk / Hong Kong |
| 99849.75 HKD | 2014 | 1 x 1.5L | 1 | hk / Hong Kong |
| 51194.55 HKD | 2014 | 1 x 75cl | 2 | hk / Hong Kong |
| 96976.00 HKD | 2015 | 1 x 1.5L | 2 | hk / Hong Kong |
| 82429.60 HKD | 2016 | 1 x 1.5L | 1 | hk / Hong Kong |
| 2401.41 GBP | 2016 | 1 x 75cl | 1 | uk / United Kingdom |
| 2351.88 GBP | 2016 | 1 x 75cl | 1 | uk / United Kingdom |
| 132986.70 HKD | 2016 | 3 x 75cl | 1 | hk / Hong Kong |
| 99275.00 HKD | 2017 | 1 x 1.5L | 1 | hk / Hong Kong |
| 3691.09 GBP | 2017 | 1 x 75cl | 1 | uk / United Kingdom |
| 118064.10 HKD | 2017 | 3 x 75cl | 1 | hk / Hong Kong |
| 42322.50 GBP | 2017 | 6 x 1.5L | 1 | uk / United Kingdom |
| 104489.55 HKD | 2018 | 1 x 1.5L | 1 | hk / Hong Kong |
| 19551.90 GBP | 2018 | 1 x 3L | 1 | uk / United Kingdom |
| 31245.50 HKD | 2018 | 1 x 75cl | 2 | hk / Hong Kong |
| 89159.40 HKD | 2018 | 3 x 75cl | 1 | hk / Hong Kong |
| 50996.00 HKD | 2019 | 1 x 75cl | 1 | hk / Hong Kong |
| 36575.00 HKD | 2020 | 1 x 75cl | 2 | hk / Hong Kong |
| 16720.00 EUR | 2021 | 1 x 3L | 1 | fr_bordeaux / Bordeaux |
| 19799.40 GBP | 2021 | 1 x 3L | 1 | uk / United Kingdom |
| 20064.00 EUR | 2021 | 6 x 75cl | 2 | fr_bordeaux / Bordeaux |
| 3470.74 GBP | 2023 | 1 x 75cl | 1 | uk / United Kingdom |
No active bids.
| Vintage | Packing | Offers | Bids | Market price | WA rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 1 x 75cl | 1 | 0 | 97 | |
| 1988 | 1 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 24188.88 | 88 |
| 1988 | 12 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 290266.56 | 88 |
| 1994 | 1 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 27713.54 | 91 |
| 1994 | 12 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 332562.48 | 91 |
| 1994 | 3 x 1.5L | 1 | 0 | 166281.24 | 91 |
| 1996 | 1 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 39521.67 | 94 |
| 1996 | 12 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 474260.04 | 94 |
| 1997 | 1 x 1.5L | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1997 | 1 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 26767.92 | |
| 1997 | 12 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 321215.04 | |
| 1998 | 12 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 298419.96 | 94 |
| 1998 | 3 x 1.5L | 1 | 0 | 94 | |
| 1998 | 6 x 1.5L | 0 | 0 | 298419.96 | 94 |
| 1999 | 1 x 75cl | 1 | 0 | 46318.90 | 93 |
| 1999 | 12 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 555826.80 | 93 |
| 1999 | 3 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 138956.70 | 93 |
| 2000 | 1 x 1.5L | 1 | 0 | 93 | |
| 2000 | 1 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 32018.18 | 93 |
| 2000 | 12 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 384218.16 | 93 |
| 2001 | 1 x 1.5L | 1 | 0 | 94 | |
| 2001 | 1 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 94 | |
| 2001 | 3 x 75cl | 1 | 0 | 94 | |
| 2002 | 1 x 1.5L | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2002 | 1 x 75cl | 2 | 0 | 36540.02 | |
| 2002 | 12 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 438480.24 | |
| 2002 | 2 x 1.5L | 0 | 0 | 146160.08 | |
| 2002 | 3 x 75cl | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2003 | 1 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2003 | 3 x 75cl | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2004 | 1 x 75cl | 2 | 0 | 36471.23 | |
| 2004 | 12 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 437654.76 | |
| 2005 | 1 x 1.5L | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2005 | 1 x 75cl | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2005 | 6 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2006 | 1 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 26871.96 | |
| 2006 | 12 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 322463.52 | |
| 2006 | 6 x 75cl | 1 | 0 | 161231.76 | |
| 2007 | 1 x 1.5L | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2007 | 1 x 3L | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2007 | 1 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 32669.80 | |
| 2007 | 12 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 392037.60 | |
| 2007 | 6 x 75cl | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2008 | 1 x 75cl | 1 | 0 | 33049.59 | |
| 2008 | 12 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 396595.08 | |
| 2008 | 6 x 75cl | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2009 | 1 x 75cl | 1 | 0 | 29198.78 | |
| 2009 | 12 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 350385.36 | |
| 2010 | 1 x 75cl | 1 | 0 | 32666.93 | |
| 2010 | 12 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 392003.16 | |
| 2010 | 6 x 75cl | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2011 | 1 x 3L | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2011 | 1 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2011 | 3 x 75cl | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2012 | 1 x 1.5L | 1 | 0 | 75 | |
| 2012 | 1 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 37422.31 | 75 |
| 2012 | 12 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 449067.72 | 75 |
| 2012 | 3 x 75cl | 1 | 0 | 75 | |
| 2013 | 1 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 27589.05 | 96 |
| 2013 | 12 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 331068.60 | 96 |
| 2013 | 3 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 82767.15 | 96 |
| 2013 | 6 x 75cl | 1 | 0 | 165534.30 | 96 |
| 2014 | 1 x 1.5L | 1 | 0 | 99 | |
| 2014 | 1 x 75cl | 1 | 0 | 39524.69 | 99 |
| 2014 | 12 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 474296.28 | 99 |
| 2014 | 3 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 118574.07 | 99 |
| 2014 | 6 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 237148.14 | 99 |
| 2015 | 1 x 1.5L | 1 | 0 | 96 | |
| 2015 | 12 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 256418.52 | 96 |
| 2015 | 3 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 64104.63 | 96 |
| 2015 | 6 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 128209.26 | 96 |
| 2016 | 1 x 1.5L | 1 | 0 | 98 | |
| 2016 | 1 x 3L | 0 | 0 | 124947.00 | 98 |
| 2016 | 1 x 75cl | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2016 | 12 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 374841.00 | 98 |
| 2016 | 3 x 75cl | 1 | 0 | 98 | |
| 2016 | 6 x 1.5L | 0 | 0 | 374841.00 | 98 |
| 2016 | 6 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 187420.50 | 98 |
| 2017 | 1 x 1.5L | 1 | 0 | 98 | |
| 2017 | 1 x 75cl | 1 | 0 | 39374.52 | 98 |
| 2017 | 12 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 472494.24 | 98 |
| 2017 | 3 x 75cl | 1 | 0 | 118123.56 | 98 |
| 2017 | 6 x 1.5L | 1 | 0 | 98 | |
| 2017 | 6 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 236247.12 | 98 |
| 2018 | 1 x 1.5L | 1 | 0 | 96 | |
| 2018 | 1 x 3L | 1 | 0 | 96 | |
| 2018 | 1 x 75cl | 1 | 0 | 96 | |
| 2018 | 12 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 311705.40 | 96 |
| 2018 | 3 x 75cl | 1 | 0 | 77926.35 | 96 |
| 2018 | 6 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 155852.70 | 96 |
| 2019 | 1 x 75cl | 1 | 0 | 42137.64 | |
| 2019 | 12 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 505651.68 | |
| 2019 | 3 x 1.5L | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2019 | 6 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2020 | 1 x 75cl | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2020 | 6 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2021 | 1 x 1.5L | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2021 | 1 x 3L | 2 | 0 | 178869.00 | |
| 2021 | 1 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2021 | 12 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | 536607.00 | |
| 2021 | 6 x 75cl | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2022 | 1 x 1.5L | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2022 | 1 x 75cl | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2022 | 3 x 1.5L | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2023 | 1 x 75cl | 1 | 0 |
Rating: 96 –96
The 2018 Montrachet Grand Cru is ample and giving, wafting from the glass with aromas of rich orchard fruit, orange oil, confit citrus, white flowers, wheat toast and spices. Full-bodied, satiny and giving, its broad attack segues into a young, fleshy mid-palate that's girdled by lively acids, before concluding with a long, saline finish. This will offer an unusually broad drinking window, as it's already quite approachable out of the gates.
Rating: 98 –98
Ramonet produced three barrels of the 2017 Montrachet Grand Cru, an extraordinary wine that numbers among the high points of the vintage. Offering up aromas of ripe pears, peach, citrus oil, nutmeg and pastry cream, it's full-bodied, deep and elegantly textural, with incredible mid-palate volume, racy acids and a long, penetrating finish. Impeccably balanced and ineffably complete, this is the best Montrachet the domaine has bottled since the incredible 2014.
Rating: 75 –75
This bottle of the 2012 Montrachet Grand Cru revealed a fat, buttery, full-bodied wine reminiscent of canned peaches. Soft and advanced, despite perfect conservation, it exhibited alarming evolution.
Rating: 93 –93
A rich, dramatic wine, the 1999 Montrachet Grand Cru bursts with aromas of honeyed orchard fruit, poached pears, cotton candy and a generous application of toasty new oak that remains prominent at age 23. Full-bodied, broad and fleshy, it's supple and enveloping, with a rich core of fruit, ripe acids and a generous, giving profile, concluding with a long, sweet, gently oak-inflected finish. This isn't the most incisive wine in the Ramonet cellar in this vintage, and it's fully mature today.
Rating: 90 –92
The explosive nose of the 1999 Montrachet displays toast, yeast, smoke, pears, quince, and minerals. This medium to full-bodied wine has huge richness, breadth, density, and power. It is plump, has outstanding grip, and would unquestionably have merited an exceptional score if its acidity had not been somewhat sharp and tart. Nevertheless, this wine's density of fruit and concentration lead me to hope it may well overcome this trait with cellaring. Projected maturity: 2005-2014. Importer: Seagram Chateau & Estate Wines Company, New York, NY; tel (212) 572-7725.
Rating: 94 –94
Drunk from magnum, the 1996 Montrachet Grand Cru from Domaine Ramonet is still an infant, opening in the glass with scents of white flowers, citrus oil, crushed chalk, warm bread and oyster shell. On the palate, it's deep, full-bodied and concentrated, with an immensely tight-knit core and an incisive spine of acidity. Whether the plenitude and expressive complexity of a great mature Montrachet will emerge with enough additional bottle age is an interesting question: on the one hand, this is so youthful that I'm disinclined to bet against it, and on the other, at age 23, it remains unyielding for the time being.
Rating: 91 –91
After a lackluster showing of the 1991 Montrachet from Domaine Ramonet earlier this year, the 1991 Montrachet Grand Cru was better, but "no great shakes." It has a divine nose, for sure, with citrus fruit, mint, Mirin and spice with fabulous definition. So far, so fab. But the palate does not quite strike the same chord and feels rather conservative, perhaps unambitious, content to trade on its illustrious name rather than deliver a transcendental experience.
Rating: 96 –96
There are four barrels of the 1992 Le Montrachet, but according to Noel Ramonet, "two will be declassified." Wouldn't you like to be the lucky recipient of some of that wine? The two barrels that will be estate-bottled come from 70-year old vines. It is an awesomely rich, full-bodied, massive wine oozing with fruit and that distinctive steely, mineral-like Montrachet character. As usual, the price will be astronomical. This magnificent Montrachet will drink well for 15-20 years. As a sidelight, while discussing Noel Ramonet's favorite Le Montrachets, he proceeded to open the 1978, the only vintage of Ramonet's Le Montrachet that I had never tasted. The wine exhibits a deep golden color, but is extremely austere and backward. It appears capable of lasting another 15-20 years. It is one of those wines that is impressive more for its structure and potential longevity than for its depth of fruit or hedonistic virtues. The 1990 and 1983 Le Montrachets are Noel's favorites. He feels the 1982 should be consumed (I agree). Moreover, he thinks 1982 and 1989 are better than 1986 (I disagree). Because the Domaine Ramonet enjoys a mythical status it is fashionable to criticize the wines as not being as exceptional as they used to be. Don't fall for this line of thinking. This domaine produces some of the finest Chardonnays in the world. While other domaines have begun making superb wines over recent years (i.e., Amiot-Bonfils and Colin-Deleger), and others have always made wines as profound as Ramonet, in particular Michel Niellon, the name Ramonet still carries with it a magical significance. If there is any criticism to be leveled, it is that vintages in the late eighties and early nineties appear to possess high acidity. The domaine adamantly denies doing any acidification. Ramonet made excellent 1992s, and very good 1991s that are worthy of serious buyers' interest. Importer: Chateaux and Estates, New York, NY.
Rating: 89 –89
The 1991 Montrachet from Domaine Ramonet here sports a burnished gold color, perhaps too deep, even considering it's 23 years old. The nose is fully mature with honeycomb, nougat and almond, and not as well-defined as other Montrachet that I have tasted from this era. The palate is burly and powerful with good weight: smoked walnut, dried honey and nutmeg, leading do a rather dry finish. I do not think this is a case of premature oxidization, just this would suggest that this grand cru is past its best.
Rating: 90 –90
The 1991 Ramonet offerings are crisp, lean, elegant, and tightly knit. Again, high acidity is a hallmark in what was a notoriously low acid year. The medium-weight 1991 Le Montrachet reveals copious amounts of fruit and depth. A lovely bouquet of buttered apples, spring flowers, and honey is followed by a medium-bodied wine with layers of rich, sweet fruit. Drink this outstanding wine over the next 10-12 years. Because the Domaine Ramonet enjoys a mythical status it is fashionable to criticize the wines as not being as exceptional as they used to be. Don't fall for this line of thinking. This domaine produces some of the finest Chardonnays in the world. While other domaines have begun making superb wines over recent years (i.e., Amiot-Bonfils and Colin-Deleger), and others have always made wines as profound as Ramonet, in particular Michel Niellon, the name Ramonet still carries with it a magical significance. If there is any criticism to be leveled, it is that vintages in the late eighties and early nineties appear to possess high acidity. The domaine adamantly denies doing any acidification. Ramonet made excellent 1992s, and very good 1991s that are worthy of serious buyers' interest. As a sidelight, while discussing Noel Ramonet's favorite Le Montrachets, he proceeded to open the 1978, the only vintage of Ramonet's Le Montrachet that I had never tasted. The wine exhibits a deep golden color, but is extremely austere and backward. It appears capable of lasting another 15-20 years. It is one of those wines that is impressive more for its structure and potential longevity than for its depth of fruit or hedonistic virtues. The 1990 and 1983 Le Montrachets are Noel's favorites. He feels the 1982 should be consumed (I agree). Moreover, he thinks 1982 and 1989 are better than 1986 (I disagree). Importer: Chateaux and Estates, New York, NY.
Rating: 93 –93
Because the Domaine Ramonet enjoys a mythical status it is fashionable to criticize the wines as not being as exceptional as they used to be. Don't fall for this line of thinking. This domaine produces some of the finest Chardonnays in the world. While other domaines have begun making superb wines over recent years (i.e., Amiot-Bonfils and Colin-Deleger), and others have always made wines as profound as Ramonet, in particular Michel Niellon, the name Ramonet still carries with it a magical significance. If there is any criticism to be leveled, it is that vintages in the late eighties and early nineties appear to possess high acidity. The domaine adamantly denies doing any acidification. No further tasting note. Importer: Chateaux and Estates, New York, NY.
Rating: 97 –97
The 1989 Montrachet (of which there are 2 barrels from 70-year old vines) attained a natural alcohol level of 14.8%. So much for those oenologist's wines made within safe technical parameters! I realize few readers will ever get a chance to taste this wine, but as you can imagine, it boasts unbelievable concentration and viscosity. It is not as thick and unctuous as the Montrachet made by the Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, but it does possess exquisite balance and length. All things considered, I would wait 10 years before popping the cork. It will drink well for at least the first two decades of the next century. For those Hollywood superstars and multi-million dollar athletes that might be readers, Ramonet still thinks his 1986 Montrachet is the best of the decade, and considers 1989 the pretender to the throne. Sooner or later most white burgundy lovers make the pilgrimage to the village of Chassagne-Montrachet and pay a visit to the Domaine Ramonet. Legendary wines frequently emerge from these cellars and for that reason, only the Domaine de la Romanee-Conti's Montrachet sells for a higher price than that of Ramonet. However, other wines in their portfolio often make a more sensible purchase. Importer: Chateau and Estates, New York, NY.
Rating: 88 –88
Last Tasted 6/92 Many of the 1988 white burgundies remind me of the lean, acidic, frequently undernourished 1981s. Few 1988s can be called superbly concentrated, but the best examples are good to excellent. Ramonet's 1988 Montrachet should prove to be long-lived given its high acidity and sleek, compact style. As good as the wine is, however, it is hardly dazzling. A reticent nose offers up aromas of honeyed apples, butter, and toast. In the mouth, this medium-bodied wine exhibits fine concentration, high acidity, and a moderately long finish. While it might benefit from 3-5 years of cellaring, I doubt if it will ever be exciting.
Rating: 97 –97
Last Tasted 8/92 I have been fortunate enough to have this wine at several tastings where a number of tasters gave it perfect scores. Certainly it was stunning when I tasted it in August. With a bold, even dramatic nose of buttered popcorn, honeyed apples, oranges, and toasty new oak, its velvety, viscous, chewy texture is crammed with sweet, expansive Chardonnay fruit. There is barely enough acidity to hold everything together, and the finish is explosively long, rich, and buttery. Drinking beautifully now, it should continue to improve for another 5-7 years.
Rating: 90 –90
Last Tasted 8/92 It is hard to believe a 1983 could have this much natural acidity. I would not be surprised to find out that Ramonet either blocked the malolactic fermentation, or did a little magical addition of acidity to this broad-shouldered, powerful wine. At age nine, it is still backward and closed, with outstanding extract levels, admirable weight, but little complexity. This could turn out to be a terrific example of Montrachet, but I would cellar it another 4-5 years.
Rating: 100 –100
One of the greatest mature wines that I've ever encountered from Domaine Ramonet, this bottle of the 1983 Montrachet Grand Cru had never left the village of Chassagne until it made its way to my home in Beaune. Wafting from the glass with aromas of tangerine, popcorn, honeycomb, exotic fruits, pear and iodine, it's full-bodied, layered and ineffably complete, uniting tension and plenitude, texture and cut, in a union of pristine harmony. Bottles like these remain indelibly etched in one's memory.
Rating: 96 –96
Last Tasted 8/92 Every time I tasted this wine between 1987 and 1990 I bestowed it a perfect score. However, at several recent tastings the wine has begun to display less than an other-worldly character. At its best, it was one of the most viscous, oily white burgundies I have ever tasted. The only wine that vaguely resembled it was the 1980 Chalone Chardonnay - amazing as that may sound. While it is still concentrated, broad-shouldered, and powerful, its freshness is not as apparent, and its high alcohol is noticeable in the finish. At its appallingly high price of $500-$700 a bottle, the thought of purchasing a wine beginning its decline is frightening.
Rating: 86 –86
The 1978 Montrachet Grand Cru, tasted in Beaune, had an amber/honey color. The nose is fully matured with marmalade, quince and orange cordial, a little smudged and with an adhesive note that becomes more intense with time. I was hoping that it would magically clear up and become more detailed, but...it doesn't. The palate is rich on the entry with what feels like a bit of botrytis. There is great weight and power here, but it feels fatigued and clearly lacks tension. There is some pleasure to be found on the Sauternes-like finish, but otherwise...well, let's just say I did not finish my glass. Tasted November 2015.
Rating: 96 –96
Jean-Claude Ramonet's 2015 Montrachet Grand Cru is exquisite, wafting from the glass with a youthful bouquet of lime, lemon pith, toasted nuts, pastry cream and fresh mint. On the palate, the wine combines the amplitude and texture of the Bâtard with the incisiveness and energy of the Chevalier, its glossy, multidimensional attack followed by a deep, limpid mid-palate and a long, penetrating finish.
Rating: 99 –99
The 2014 Montrachet Grand Cru is without doubt one of the wines of the vintage, and a real classic in the making. Aromas of tangerine oil, confit citrus, pear, toasted nuts and subtle spice introduce a generous, powerful wine with breathtaking balance and precision. There’s so much depth and incipient complexity wrapped up in its intricate structure; it's suppler than the Bâtard but no less tight knit. For all the fuss that is made of Montrachet, here is one wine that really lives up to the reputation of the vineyard and the domaine, which I’d argue is its greatest exponent. If this can survive for 20 years in the cellar, then it will be perfection itself.
Rating: 96 –96
The 2013 Montrachet Grand Cru is a beauty, opening in the decanter and glass with a complex bouquet of white flowers, Meyer lemon, honey and ripe pear, framed by light reduction and nicely integrated new oak. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, supple and expansive, with a broad but weightless attack, incredible purity and superb focus through the long, detailed finish. This is an elegant, open-knit Montrachet, and one of the high points of the 2013 white Burgundy vintage.
Rating: 98 –98
The 2016 Montrachet Grand Cru is stunning, unfurling in the glass with youthfully reticent but already complex aromas of crisp green pear, mandarin, dried white flowers, honeycomb, toasted nuts and iodine. In the mouth, the wine is full-bodied, deep and powerful, with striking amplitude and volume, immense concentration and chewy structuring extract, its satiny attack segueing into a tense, focused mid-palate and finish. This is an austere, old-fashioned rendition of Ramonet's Montrachet that it is shaping up to be one of the three or four greatest white Burgundies of the vintage.
Rating: 91 –94
Ramonet's multi-dimensional 1998 Montrachet is certainly one of the stars of the vintage. Its spice, star anise, toasted oak, and mineral-scented nose gives way to a rich, broad, powerful character. Medium to full-bodied, and exhibiting layers of ripe apples, white pears, and stone-like flavors, this is an intense, concentrated, compelling effort. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2010. Importer: Seagram Chateau & Estate Wines Company, New York, NY; tel (212) 572-7725.
Rating: 91 –93
The ripe apple, mineral, and toast-scented 2000 Montrachet is a concentrated, intense, and deep wine. It reveals an appealing vinous quality, loads of spiced pear flavors, and a backward characteristic. It is, at present, youthfully tight, certainly not to the extent of the Batard, however. This wine's finish is exceptionally long, loaded with flavor, and reveals enormous depth of fruit. Projected maturity: 2005-2015. Importer: Seagram Chateau and Estate Wines Company, New York, NY; tel. (212) 572-7725
Rating: 91 –94
Ramonet’s toasted oak-scented 2001 Montrachet is light to medium-bodied, broad, pure, deep, and focused. Its flavor profile is composed of earth, gravel, almonds, hazelnuts, quartz, and limestone. Youthfully lean, it will most certainly gain weight during elevage. Projected maturity: 2005-2014. Importer: Diageo Chateau and Estate Wines Company, New York, NY; tel; (212) 572-7725
Rating: 99 –99
Ramonet's 1985 Montrachet Grand Cru is remarkable, offering up exquisite aromas of honeyed orchard fruit, peach, nutmeg, buttered toast and smoke, followed by a full-bodied, broad-shouldered palate of striking density and concentration, concluding with a long, resonant finish. A masterpiece of controlled power, it's one of the highlights of what was a glorious decade for this domaine.
Rating: 90 –90
On January 17, 1997, a Belgian wine merchant held a comprehensive tasting of virtually every Montrachet at the Crillon Hotel in Paris. In addition to myself, Pierre Rovani was the only other American in attendance. The group was evenly split between members of the Belgian/French wine trade and private consumers. I was permitted to insert several top California Chardonnays in the tasting as "ringers." I provided the Peter Michael Chardonnay Pointe Rouge and the 1992 Mount Eden Estate Chardonnay. The tasting was impeccably organized, with the wines served blind in multiple flights. The results, although not unbelievable to me, were shocking to the group of serious Belgian and French wine tasters. Two of the French tasters were well-known winemakers. One of them who asked to remain anonymous proclaimed that in large part, the group of Montrachets was "a crime against France's patrimony." The group overwhelmingly rated the Peter Michael Chardonnay Pointe Rouge the top wine. Several tasters recognized that it was a California wine, but they still felt it was by far the most compelling, complex, and complete wine of the tasting. Second place went to another "ringer," the Domaine Valette Pouilly-Fuisse Le Clos de Monsieur Noly Vieilles Vignes, third place was awarded to the Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne another ringer, and fourth place went to yet another "ringer," the 1992 Mount Eden Estate Chardonnay. Of the Montrachets, three producers produced wines that certainly merited outstanding ratings. The fifth place wine was the Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Montrachet; sixth place went to Domaine Lafon's Montrachet; and seventh place was the Domaine Ramonet Montrachet. My numerical ratings generally mirrored the group's, with the Peter Michael Pointe Rouge receiving 97 points, Domaine Valette Pouilly-Fuisse Clos de Monsieur Noly Vieilles Vignes, 95; Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne, 96+; Mount Eden 1992 Chardonnay Estate, 94; DRC Montrachet, 93; Domaine Lafon Montrachet, 91+; Domaine Ramonet Montrachet, 90+; and most of the other Montrachets in the mid to upper-eighties, except for the appalling Montrachets from Delagrange-Bachelet and Rene Fleurot. A tropical fruit-scented, disjointed the acidity stuck out as it does in many New World Chardonnays Robert Drouhin Montrachet Marquis de la Guiche was another underachiever. Only four of the Montrachets possessed the depth and richness or the group's top three wines. Perhaps the most remarkable conclusion of this tasting was that none of the Montrachets displayed the complexity of the group's favorite three wines. And let's not hear any whining about these Montrachets needing 5-10, perhaps 15 years of cellaring. That may be the case in vintages such as 1986 or 1995, but the Montrachets are extremely forward, low acid wines except those that appeared to have had far too much acidity added. Too many of them were diluted, disjointed, flabby, and flat compared to the non-Montrachet wines of this tasting. Much is being made in European wine writing circles about American versus European tastes, another phony non-issue by writers who would better serve their readership by doing more tasting than pontificating. While no single tasting can be considered definitive, this particular tasting did prove that a group of French and Belgian tasters exhibited a preference for California Chardonnays. C'est la vie. 4
Rating: 94 –94
I had the opportunity to re-taste Ramonet's 1995 Montrachet with my Washington, DC tasting group, the Wine Nerds, in December, 1997. It is displaying lively, fresh aromas of minerals, pears, spice and, with time, spearmint. On the palate this wine has superb concentration, extraction, breadth, and powerful toasty oak, poached pears spiced with cloves and juniper berries, and stones. At this stage in its evolution it is rather disjointed, its flavor profile dominated by alcohol and oak, but all the elements are there for future greatness. Although it requires a minimum of 7-8 years for its core of fruit to evolve, it will easily last until 2025. The price is taken from the 1995 white Burgundy report. Importer: Seagram Chateau & Estate Wines Company, New York, NY; tel (212) 572-7725.