Wine Advisor
Ramonet, Montrachet Grand Cru 1991
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
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.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
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.
About the Producer
Domaine Ramonet is one of the finest producers in Burgundy, known for the Chardonnay from Chassagne Montrachet village to Montrachet Grand Cru. Domaine Ramonet has been producing consistently high quality Chardonnay in Chassagne Montrachet for 3 generations, it is difficult to talk about Chassagne Montrachet without mentioning Ramonet. Pierre Ramonet came to Burgundy in the late 1920s with nothing more than a knapsack, he started off buying grapes and vinifying them, then later buying his first vineyard in the 1930s. Domaine Ramonet gained a lot of attention very soon after bottling his first wines in his estate. Clive Cotes even wrote ‘Ramonet in white is the equivalent of Henri Jayer or the DRC in red’. By 1950s, Pierre has acquired a handsome holding of Premier Cru and Grand Cru vineyards in the Montrachet hill. Amusingly, when Pierre Ramonet has saved enough money in the 1978 and decided to buy a plot in the mighty Montrachet vineyard, he went to the lawyer’s office in Beaune and paid in a thick wad of cash.
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