Terroir Insight: Domaine Ramonet Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet

Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet is a special vineyard producing an intriguing wine that occasionally can give Bâtard-Montrachet a run for its money. Yet often it frustrates our high expectations.

This is, however, not the case with Domaine Ramonet Bienvenues-Bâtard. Almost every time I’ve tasted the wine it delights my palate with hedonistic joy. This is a top wine almost matching the Bâtard.

So let’s take a look at the Ramonet Bienvenues-Bâtard and unlock its secrets.

The nature of Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet

The Ramonet Bienvenues is always a delight, and has a hedonistic feeling that is in line with the best cuvées from this fine domaine.

I have some special favourites from Ramonet – Chassagne-Montrachet Les Caillerets (the old cuvée), Bâtard-Montrachet, of course the regal Montrachet, but then also the Bienvenues-Bâtard. All these give me a hedonistic kick.

In a sense, the Ramonet domaine is lucky not to produce a mighty Puligny Pucelles that would be compared to the Bienvenues. That said, the domaine’s Bienvenues is very close quality-wise to its Bâtard.

At Domaine Leflaive, for example, the Bâtard and the Chevalier-Montrachet are surer bets than the Bienvenues. At Ramonet, the Bâtard and the Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet are closer, much closer, in quality (and its Chevalier is impossible to find).

Bienvenues as an appellation was created relatively late – finalized in 1939, and apparently still a debatable cru in the 1970s (see the full story of Bienvenues here).

Perhaps Bienvenues should not be explained or understood. This is the beauty of the emotion one feels from Domaine Ramonet’s version: One just drinks it like there is no tomorrow, and with no regrets either.

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