Terroir Insight: Domaine Ramonet Montrachet

One of the greatest white wines in the world is in my view the Montrachet from Domaine Ramonet. I have been lucky enough to taste this magnificent and rare wine a few times, and the combination of effortless refinement and power is simply stunning.

So lets take a closer look at the plot that produces this magnificent Montrachet. 

The Ramonet plot is located in the Puligny section of Montrachet, and goes from top top bottom of the vineyard – see map below. 

The plot is 0.2590 ha and is located just north of the Bourchard Pere et Fils holdings in Montrachet – see map below. 

North of the plot we find the holdings of Boillereault de Chauvigny the source of the Montrachet of Maison Louis Latour. 

Ramonet acquired this plot in 1978 from from the Milan and Mathey-Blanches families⁴.

According to Clive Coates⁴ the deal was finalized at a lawyers office in Beaune, where Pierre Ramonet arrived in his usual old pullover, baggy trousers and the usual casquette on his head. He had brought the whole payment in cash and carried the money as thick wads of notes in his pockets. From his different pockets he suposedly piled a large stack of money onto the lawyer’s desk and concluded this by saying –  “I think you’ll find it all there”! ⁴.

The history of the Ramonet plot on Montrachet

As mentioned above the Ramonet plots was previously owned by the Milan and Mathey-Blanches families.

It is a bit unclear when they acquired the plot, or if they got the plot via inheritance at some point.

Looking at Rodier 1920 there were only four owners on the Puligny side of Montrachet.

• Bouchard Pere et Fils
• Boillereault
• Lafon-Boch
• Marquis de la Guiche

Three of these are still owners on the Puligny side of Montrachet, but Lafon-Boch (the current Domain Lafon) currently only own a plot on the Chassagne side. Mentioning Lafon as a owner on the Puligny side could however have been an error from Rodiers side, as I have never seen any info about Lafon selling a plot on Montrachet.