97 Points 10 cases in the US. $155 OFF 🕵️‍♂️ Grand Cru White Burgundy

”Monnot is an avowed devotee of the pleasures of the table, and the wines are made in their maker’s image…” - Wine Advocate

Domaine Xavier Monnot probably isn’t on your radar. Even Neal Martin at Vinous has called them a “rather over-looked Meursault producer.”

Overlooked by the public, that is. Not by the wine trade, though. Ask the buyers who live and breathe white Burgundy, and Monnot gets a glowing smile.

Neal Martin, Vinous wrote, “I adore the 2023 vintage.” For Côte de Beaune whites, he said, “in some cases, this clearly is a great vintage.” Then he tasted THIS Corton and called it “Excellent,” with a finish that “has real drive.”

We felt it from the first sniff. You know when you smell a wine and your whole body relaxes? Your shoulders drop, you exhale slowly, and a HUGE smile takes over and then you breathe in deep… well..that’s what we did at least. 🧘

Then the first sip. Golden ripe pear, sunny yellow stone fruit, a snap of tangerine peel, all riding a cool streak of wet river rock. Plush, but it never sits still. The finish keeps going. It’s masterfully built to the core with purity and concentration, but has that laser-straight line of tension and balance! Yummy good stuff.

Previously known as Domaine René Monnier, the Monnier/Monnot family has grown grapes in Meursault for six generations, traceable to 1723.

As Wine Advocate explains, “The genial Xavier Monnot took over the illustrious Domaine René Monnier—named after his grandfather—in 1994, launching his own label in 2005. This 17-hectare estate boasts extensive holdings in both red and white. Monnot is an avowed devotee of the pleasures of the table, and the wines are made in their maker’s image: gourmand, charming and expressive, privileging pleasure above all else. Yet it would be a mistake to conflate this generous, pleasure-bent style—descriptors that apply equally aptly to both reds and whites—with a superficially commercial one, as these wines are nicely concentrated and clearly differentiated by site.”

This wine is made from two-thirds Le Charlemagne and one-third En Charlemagne. These are the two climats that carry the emperor’s name, at the historic heart of the hill. Who else makes wine from these two sites? Bonneau du Martray, Vougeraie, Coche-Dury and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, to name a few.

We went to a Burgundy Masters class earlier this year and THIS wine was the YES Pick! There were about 40 buyers in the room, mostly restaurants. The top names, 12 white wines in total… “Skip the oxygen tank… just let me breathe this wine for a while,” was what another buyer commented.

And that is one of the reasons why WE LOVE THIS PRODUCER! They continuously hit it out of the park.

But now comes the bad news… roughly 400 cases were made for the entire world, and only a handful were imported for the entire US! What’s here today is all we have. And sadly 2024 was a catastrophic challenging year for growers in burgundy resulting in a 25% reduction in yields. Stock up Ops while you can, cuz with the ‘24’s its unlikely they will have enough to export.

97 Points - Wine Enthusiast ”Ripe citrus and orchard fruit fill the glass, along with fresh almond and a touch of fine vanilla in an airy, understated profile. The palate is round yet finely textured, while its refreshing acidity lifts a delicate orchard-fruit core. Give it an hour of aeration and be ready for it to wow your guests.:

94 Points - Jasper Morris, Master of Wine, Inside Burgundy ”Pale lemon and lime. A delicious perfume on this, with the riper melon and honeysuckle on top of the mineral core. Marvellous elegance behind, with considerable length.”

94 Points - Vinous ”The 2023 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, which is two-thirds “Le” and one-third “En” Charlemagne, has an open and expressive bouquet of white peach, orange pith and touches of crushed stone. The palate is well balanced, fresh and lively with a fine bead of acidity and a vivid finish that has real drive. Excellent.- Neal Martin”

94 Points - Wine Spectator ”Ripe and lively, featuring apricot, peach, honeysuckle, stony mineral and vanilla flavors. This is dense and reserved, with a long, detailed aftertaste and a chalky feel. Best from 2027 through 2039. 411 cases made, 10 cases imported.”