Roland Thévenin - Montrachet 'Grand Cru' 1945

Roland Thévenin - Montrachet 'Grand Cru' 1945

The wine Roland Thévenin - Montrachet 'Grand Cru' 1945is an extremely rare and historic white wine from the famous Burgundian Grand Cru vineyard Montrachet. The following information is based on a documented tasting report and general data on the vintage and vineyard.

1. Historical context of the 1945 vintage in Burgundy

The year 1945 was characterised by extreme weather conditions in Burgundy. A severe frost in May destroyed much of the harvest, resulting in a very small production . This small quantity, combined with the high quality of the remaining grapes, resulted in wines of exceptional concentration. For the white wines of the region, especially the Chardonnay, this meant a "superbe finesse and a strong character" . It is a vintage known for its enormous ageing potential, with the best bottles still magnificent decades later .

2. The Roland Thévenin winery

Roland Thévenin is a producer who makes wines in the Côte de Beaune region of Burgundy, which includes Montrachet . The fact that a bottle from this winery from 1945 has survived and been drunk emphasises the historical significance and rarity of this object.

3. Tasting note from 2017

The only documented contemporary source for this specific wine comes from a tasting organised by the "Académie des vins anciens" in January 2017 . The wine was tasted at this event with over 25 participants, including winegrowers. The tasting note describes the condition of the wine at the advanced age of 72 years as follows :

• Surprising condition: The wine presented itself far better than originally expected.

• Sensory characteristics:

  • Complexity: It showed a nice complexity.

  • Precision: The wine was described as precise and clear in flavour.

  • Body: It lacked some of the "fullness" and typical "breadth" expected of a great Montrachet.

  • Maturity: It already seemed "a little developed", but this is to be expected from a wine of this age.

To summarise, the 1945 wine was rated as a positive surprise, which still offered impressive complexity and precision despite its advanced age and some age-related limitations (such as the loss of fullness) .

4. Summary

The Roland Thévenin - Montrachet 'Grand Cru' 1945is a testament to the exceptional quality of the 1945 Burgundy vintage. A tasting in 2017 showed that this wine can outlast the decades. Although it had lost some of its fullness with age, it impressed with its retained complexity and precision and turned out to be a "nice surprise" . Due to its age and the low production volume of the vintage, it must be considered an extreme rarity.

Sources

The information in this report is based on a detailed tasting report from the Académie des vins anciens and a general overview of the 1945 vintage.