Domaine Ramonet - Batard-Montrachet 'Grand Cru' 1971

Domaine Ramonet – Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru 1971: A Burgundian legacy

The 1971 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru from Domaine Ramonet is far more than just a rare bottle – it is a piece of Burgundian wine-growing history and the work of one of the most enigmatic yet significant producers of white wine on the Côte de Beaune. Domaine Ramonet was founded in the 1920s by Pierre Ramonet, a leading figure in Burgundy who built his estate from scratch and was already selling wines to Michelin-starred restaurants and to the United States before the Second World War. His first champion was Raymond Baudoin, the founder of the *Revue du Vin de France*, who discovered Ramonet’s work in the 1930s and sparked the interest of the American wine merchant Frank Schoonmaker. In 1984, his grandsons Noël and Jean-Claude Ramonet took over the estate and introduced a strict yield restriction on the unique terroirs of Bâtard-Montrachet, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet and Montrachet. Today, Ramonet is regarded as one of the world’s finest producers of white wine – a reputation built on a long history of sublime wines.

At the heart of this wine lies the Bâtard-Montrachetvineyard , one of the five white Grands Crus of the Côte de Beaune, spread between the villages of Puligny and Chassagne. This quintet vies for the title of ‘the world’s finest dry white wine’ – and the Bâtard-Montrachet reaches the pinnacle of richness and aromatic complexity, with a finish of almost unrivalled length. The pale golden colour develops into a golden yellow, whilst the bouquet displays exceptional intensity: aromas of lemon, butter, almonds, honey and spices characterise this majestic wine, which is distinguished by its velvety texture.

The 1971 vintage was a good year in Burgundy, proving particularly excellent for white wines. The growing season began with a mild spring, which brought early and successful budburst, before adverse conditions set in. The winemaking process followed the estate’s philosophy: the grapes are lightly crushed before pressing, the must is not fined, and very few sulphites are used.

The tasting notes paint a picture of a mature wine at an advanced stage. Tastingbook describes a ‘well-matured but not aged colour’, a nose that is ‘somewhat faded’, a ‘fuller body on the palate’ that ‘is beginning to lose its fruit but shows no excessive oxidation’ – a wine that is “a little past its peak” and “ends somewhat stiffly”. This description captures the essence of a Grand Cru over fifty years old: a wine that has seen better days but still bears witness to its former greatness. The wine world describes the 1971 vintage as having aromas of lemon, citrus fruits, apple and white flowers, with crisp acidity, a rich body and a lingering finish.

The rarity of this wine is underlined by its presence at international auctions: one bottle was offered at Christie’s with a liquid level 3.5 cm below the cap, and a lot was auctioned at Sotheby’s in New York in 2019.

For lovers of great Burgundies, the 1971 Domaine Ramonet Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cruis an extraordinary experience – a liquid monument to a bygone era of winemaking, bearing the hallmark of one of the 20th century’s most significant white wine makers and telling a remarkable story through over five decades of bottle ageing.