2020 Jean-Claude Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Vergers

The 2020 Jean-Claude Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Vergers is a refined white Burgundy from one of the most respected names in Chassagne. This Premier Cru captures the elegance and tension of the vintage, offering a beautifully layered expression of Chardonnay with both immediate charm and serious ageing potential. Les Vergers is known for its poised, mineral-driven style, and in Ramonet’s hands it becomes a benchmark wine for the appellation.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, this 2020 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Vergers shows a pale to medium lemon-gold hue with green reflections, hinting at both youth and concentration. The nose is finely etched and complex, opening with citrus blossom, lemon zest and ripe pear, then unfolding into notes of white peach, crushed chalk, flint, and a touch of fresh almond and discreet, high-quality oak. On the palate, the wine is precise, tense and vibrant, displaying a beautiful interplay between ripe fruit and incisive acidity. Layers of citrus (Meyer lemon, grapefruit), stone fruit and green apple glide over a core of saline minerality and subtle smokiness. The oak is seamlessly integrated, adding texture and a faint vanilla-spice nuance without overshadowing the terroir. The finish is long, pure and mouthwatering, with a lingering impression of citrus peel, wet stone and a delicate nuttiness that will deepen with time. While already impressive in its youth, this 2020 has the structure and balance to evolve gracefully for 8–12 years, gaining even more complexity and creamy depth.

Production
Les Vergers is a Premier Cru vineyard situated on the northern side of Chassagne-Montrachet, on well-drained, limestone-rich soils with clay and stones that naturally limit yields and enhance mineral expression. Jean-Claude Ramonet is known for meticulous work in the vines, favouring careful canopy management and hand harvesting at optimal ripeness to preserve freshness and balance. In the cellar, the Chardonnay grapes are gently pressed and the must is settled before fermentation in French oak barrels, a portion of which is new but never dominant. The wine then matures on fine lees, with judicious bâtonnage depending on the vintage, resulting in a texture that is both silky and taut, and a style that is classically Ramonet: precise, mineral and ageworthy.

Food & Serving
This Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Vergers shines alongside refined dishes that mirror its elegance and complexity. Think poached or roasted turbot, sole or halibut, scallops with beurre blanc, lobster, or delicate poultry in cream or morel mushroom sauce. It also pairs beautifully with fine goat’s cheese or aged Comté. Serve lightly chilled, ideally around 11–13°C (52–55°F), to allow the aromas and texture to fully unfold. Young bottles will benefit from 30–60 minutes in a decanter to open up, while older vintages should be handled more gently, with a brief, careful aeration just before serving.

Producer
The Ramonet domaine, based in Chassagne-Montrachet, is one of Burgundy’s most revered producers of white wine, with a history stretching back to the early 20th century. Under the stewardship of the Ramonet family, including Jean-Claude, the estate has built a reputation for crafting some of the most precise, mineral and ageworthy Chardonnays in the Côte de Beaune. Their holdings span an enviable range of village, Premier Cru and Grand Cru vineyards, and their wines are prized for their clarity of terroir and remarkable longevity. Ramonet’s style—low-intervention, vineyard-focused and resolutely classic—has helped define the modern benchmark for Chassagne-Montrachet and secured the domaine’s place among Burgundy’s elite producers.