Notify me
2020 Bourgogne Vézelay Blanc “Galerne”
Domaine Montanet-ThodenValentin Montanet’s wines are the most frequently opened and effortlessly enjoyed white Burgundies in our wine fridge. This vintage of Galerne is slightly more opulent than the typical Vézelay in that its citrus profile leans in the direction of caramelized lemon skin and bitter pomelo seeds as opposed to a puckery acidity. It’s no less mineral, however. The wine was vibrant paired alongside ripe La Tur—a soft, funky goat and sheep’s milk cheese. I’m still dreaming of how the cheese’s decadent creaminess enhanced the silky texture of this blanc.
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Chardonnay |
Appellation: | Bourgogne |
Country: | France |
Region: | Burgundy |
Producer: | Domaine Montanet-Thoden |
Winemaker: | Catherine & Valentin Montanet |
Vineyard: | Planted mid-90s, early 2000s, 6 ha |
Soil: | Clay, limestone |
Aging: | Vinification and élevage entirely in stainless steel |
Farming: | Organic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 14.1% |
More from this Producer or Region
2022 Bourgogne Vézelay Blanc “Galerne”
France | Burgundy
Climate, a clay-and-limestone soil, and stainless-steel vinification are the pillars of Valentin’s Galerne blanc, a divine rendition of pure, chiseled Chardonnay.
2019 Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru
France | Burgundy
A classic Charmes, sensual and graceful, with a deep core of concentration.
2022 Maranges 1er Cru “La Fussière”
France | Burgundy
From a stony, upper-slope parcel just above Les Clos Roussots, the delicious Fussière is black-fruited, flinty, and structured.
2022 Bourgogne Rouge
France | Burgundy
All you need to know is that this wine drinks like a Beaujolais with loads of black, sappy fruit and is ounce per ounce more pleasurable and delicious than anything you’d find in a collector’s stash.
2017 Marsannay Rouge “Les Longeroies” Vieilles Vignes
France | Burgundy
This single-vineyard Pinot Noir with about five years of age is what drinking great Burgundy is all about.
2019 Mâcon-Villages
France | Burgundy
A crisp, crackling white sourced from the actual village of Chardonnay.
2022 Bourgogne Rouge “Garance”
France | Burgundy
A sneakily serious Pinot Noir.
2021 Fixin
France | Burgundy
Solid yet affordable cru burgundy with the structure, concentration, and complexity similar to Gevrey-Chambertin’s wine, as well as the bright fruit and accessibility of its other neighbor, Marsannay.
2022 Juliénas
France | Burgundy
With loads of fresh Gamay fruit, it flows over the palate with a juicy buoyancy that simply makes it hard to resist.
2020 Meursault-Blagny 1er Cru “La Genelotte”
France | Burgundy
De Chérisey produces classic Chardonnay that seems as if from a different time. White Burgundy like this doesn’t come around very often.
About The Producer
Domaine Montanet-Thoden
About The Region
Burgundy
In eastern central France, Burgundy is nestled between the wine regions of Champagne to the north, the Jura to the east, the Loire to the west, and the Rhône to the south. This is the terroir par excellence for producing world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
The southeast-facing hillside between Dijon in the north and Maranges in the south is known as the Côte d’Or or “golden slope.” The Côte d’Or comprises two main sections, both composed of limestone and clay soils: the Côte de Nuits in the northern sector, and the Côte de Beaune in the south. Both areas produce magnificent whites and reds, although the Côte de Beaune produces more white wine and the Côte de Nuits more red.
Chablis is Burgundy’s northern outpost, known for its flinty and age-worthy Chardonnays planted in Kimmeridgian limestone on an ancient seabed. Vézelay is a smaller area south of Chablis with similar qualities, although the limestone there is not Kimmeridgian.
To the south of the Côte de Beaune, the Côte Chalonnaise extends from Chagny on its northern end, down past Chalon-sur-Saône and encompasses the appellations of Bouzeron in the north, followed by Rully, Mercurey, Givry, and Montagny.
Directly south of the Chalonnaise begins the Côte Mâconnais, which extends south past Mâcon to the hamlets of Fuissé, Vinzelles, Chaintré, and Saint-Véran. The Mâconnais is prime Chardonnay country and contains an incredible diversity of soils.
More from Burgundy or France
2020 Bourgogne Rouge
Domaine Robert Chevillon France | Burgundy
2022 Chablis 1er Cru “Fourchaume”
Famille Savary France | Burgundy
2022 Mâcon-Villages “Terroir de Farges Vieilles Vignes”
Henri Perrusset France | Burgundy
2019 Saint-Véran “Les Pommards Vieilles Vignes”
Domaine Robert-Denogent France | Burgundy
2018 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru
Domaine Méo-Camuzet France | Burgundy
2021 Bourgogne Rouge
La Soeur Cadette France | Burgundy
2020 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru “Les Cherbaudes”
Domaine Lucien Boillot et Fils France | Burgundy
2022 Chablis Grand Cru “Les Preuses”
Domaine Roland Lavantureux France | Burgundy
2019 Mâcon-Villages
Santini Collective France | Burgundy
2020 Marsannay Rouge “Clos du Roy”
Régis Bouvier France | Burgundy
2018 Nuits Saint Georges 1er Cru “Les Pruliers”
Domaine Taupenot-Merme France | Burgundy
2021 Saint-Aubin Rouge 1er Cru “Sur Le Sentier du Clou”
Domaine Larue France | Burgundy
2020 Bourgogne Rouge
Domaine Robert Chevillon France | Burgundy
2022 Chablis 1er Cru “Fourchaume”
Famille Savary France | Burgundy
2022 Mâcon-Villages “Terroir de Farges Vieilles Vignes”
Henri Perrusset France | Burgundy
2019 Saint-Véran “Les Pommards Vieilles Vignes”
Domaine Robert-Denogent France | Burgundy
2018 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru
Domaine Méo-Camuzet France | Burgundy
2021 Bourgogne Rouge
La Soeur Cadette France | Burgundy
2020 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru “Les Cherbaudes”
Domaine Lucien Boillot et Fils France | Burgundy
2022 Chablis Grand Cru “Les Preuses”
Domaine Roland Lavantureux France | Burgundy
2019 Mâcon-Villages
Santini Collective France | Burgundy
2020 Marsannay Rouge “Clos du Roy”
Régis Bouvier France | Burgundy
2018 Nuits Saint Georges 1er Cru “Les Pruliers”
Domaine Taupenot-Merme France | Burgundy
2021 Saint-Aubin Rouge 1er Cru “Sur Le Sentier du Clou”
Domaine Larue France | Burgundy
Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
When buying red Burgundy, I think we should remember:
1. Big wines do not age better than light wine.
2. A so-called great vintage at the outset does not guarantee a great vintage for the duration.
3. A so-called off vintage at the outset does not mean the wines do not have a brilliant future ahead of them.
4. Red Burgundy should not taste like Guigal Côte-Rôtie, even if most wine writers wish it would.
5. Don’t follow leaders; watch yer parking meters.
Inspiring Thirst, page 174