Alain Chavy produces restrained, structured, and long-lived white Burgundies from 17 acres of vineyards in Puligny-Montrachet, with small holdings in the neighboring villages of Chassagne and Meursault. Alain established Domaine Alain Chavy in 2003 with vineyards inherited from his father and includes some of Puligny’s top premier crus.

Les Folatières is the largest Puligny Premier Cru and one of the best-known thanks to its size and the quality of its wines. Folatières sits high up on the hill above Clavoillons with meager soil. The result is a full-bodied wine with plenty of minerality and grip. This is Alain’s favorite Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru.

Alain inoculates for fermentation and believes in keeping bâtonnage to a minimum. He uses a combination of 400-liter oak puncheons and 25% new Burgundian pièce for the Premier Crus. “We’re looking for balance between the fruit and oak character,” explains Alain. “We want the wines’ minerality to show through.”

Wines from Puligny-Montrachet are typified by aromas and flavors of green apple and lemon and tend to be tauter and firmer on the palate compared to wines from neighboring villages. Aging in a small percentage of new French oak barrels lends accents of toast and vanilla. Structured white wines with high acid and grip, Puligny-Montrachet is destined for long aging.