Vineyards and winemaking
Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru lies across the boundary between Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet. Its limestone and clay-rich slopes produce Chardonnay of formidable breadth, structure and persistence. The warm, early 2015 season delivered ripe fruit, yet the best wines retained the precision and energy that distinguish this celebrated site.
The grapes were harvested by hand and gently pressed before barrel fermentation. Paul Pernot’s grand cru whites typically see around 40–50% new oak, with limited lees stirring during fermentation and none during maturation, an approach designed to build scale without blurring the vineyard’s mineral definition.
Tasting notes
Appearance
Rich golden yellow, bright and lucid, with the depth expected after a decade in bottle.
Nose
Lemon curd, white peach and baked apple unfold into hazelnut, crushed herbs, warm pastry and a restrained honeyed note.
Palate
Powerful and expansive, yet still carried by saline freshness. Layers of citrus oil, orchard fruit and toasted nuts meet fine-grained oak and a long, mineral finish. Mature white Burgundy can vary by bottle; stand upright before serving, open carefully and allow the wine to unfold in the glass.
Food pairing
Serve with butter-poached lobster, roast turbot with morels, chicken in a tarragon cream sauce or a truffled leek gratin. A well-aged Comté offers an equally distinguished, simpler pairing.
Background story
Domaine Paul Pernot is a family estate in Puligny-Montrachet, formally established under Paul’s name in 1959 and now continued by later generations. Its holdings encompass important village, premier cru and grand cru parcels, and the wines are valued for combining generosity with classical Puligny restraint.
Bâtard-Montrachet is among the domaine’s most imposing wines, naturally broader and more powerful than its village and premier cru bottlings. The 2015 vintage brought that scale into sharp relief while preserving enough freshness for patient bottle development.
