Notify me
2023 Côte de Nuits-Villages
Domaine Gachot-Monot
I thank Aubert de Villaine for leading me to young Gachot’s door. If you already know something about Aubert’s consummate taste, you’ll have an idea of what’s in store for you.
After a thirty-five-year career, I have a headful of tasting memories, but my favorite are of the few occasions when Aubert and I met up at Richard Olney’s house in Provence. The wine talk during those occasions was sans bullshit.
Aubert would bring a bottle or two. Richard was the cook. Since Richard did not drive, I did the grocery shopping.
Richard would bring up some special bottles from his cellar, and invariably Aubert would look sort of shocked and tell him, “No no Richard, that’s too much.” It was never too much. Well, maybe it was, because I cannot remember one single brilliant line any of us spoke about any particular wine, but I’m left with the impression that our conversation was consistently profound.
Now, back to the wine at hand. First, it is impeccable. Second, it does not exceed its appellation; it is not a substitute Romanée Conti; it is a perfect Côte de Nuits-Villages. The pretty nose smells fabulously of Pinot Noir. The palate has good, juicy flesh to it, and the tannin/acid balance... well, even in Burgundy you rarely find such an elegant balance.
As red Burgundy or Pinot Noir, I think you will agree that this is an incredible value.
** This passage comes from our August 2006 newsletter, but it continues to capture the essence of Gachot-Monot’s outstanding Côte de Nuits-Villages today! **
—Kermit Lynch
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2023 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Pinot Noir |
Appellation: | Côte de Nuits-Villages |
Country: | France |
Region: | Burgundy |
Producer: | Domaine Gachot-Monot |
Winemaker: | Damien & Lise Gachot |
Vineyard: | 40 - 45 years, 7 ha |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone |
Aging: | Grapes are vinified traditionally in cuve for anywhere between 10-15 days, depending on cuvée and vintage, wines age in fûts (20-30% of which are new) for up to 18 months before bottling |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 13% |
More from this Producer or Region

2023 Saint-Aubin 1er Cru “Sous Roche Dumay”
France | Burgundy
I refer to this bottling from Larue as their “gunsmoke” cuvée

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.

2022 Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise Rouge “La Fortune”
France | Burgundy
This rouge is so silky and aromatic, reminiscent of strawberries and cherries. Open it over the next five years to fully enjoy its bright, fresh character.

2023 Auxey-Duresses Blanc “Les Hautés”
France | Burgundy
Marvel over the explosive roundness and the stony, mineral freshness of this Auxey blanc.

2023 Savigny-les-Narbantons 1er Cru
France | Burgundy
Pure and lithe, this subtly spicy Pinot is filled with bright fruit and silky tannins.

2023 Givry Rouge 1er Cru “La Brulée”
France | Burgundy
Forward ripe berry fruit aromas and a velvety finish.

2023 Bourgogne Vézelay Blanc “Galerne”
France | Burgundy
Valentin’s Galerne blanc is a divine rendition of pure, chiseled Chardonnay, bearing notes of orchard fruit, citrus, and oyster shells.

2022 Saint-Véran “Les Pommards Vieilles Vignes”
France | Burgundy
More-than-fifty-year-old vines running through limestone and clay produce a wine that offers a creamy and luscious mouthfeel intertwined with a dry, stony minerality.

2020 Pouilly-Fuissé “La Croix Vieilles Vignes”
France | Burgundy
Bursting with energy and joy, this wine is bound to bring out the best of your inner bon vivant.

2023 Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru “Clos du Chapitre”
France | Burgundy
These Pinot vines soak up minerals, giving us a wine that’s profound, expressive, and as captivating as only high-quality red Burgundy can be.
About The Producer
Domaine Gachot-Monot
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
2022 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru “Hameau de Blagny”
Domaine Comtesse de Chérisey France | Burgundy
2016 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru “Hameau de Blagny”
Comtesse de Chérisey France | Burgundy
2023 Vézelay Blanc “La Châtelaine”
La Sœur Cadette France | Burgundy
2023 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru “La Garenne”
Domaine Larue France | Burgundy
2022 Irancy “Cuvée Emeline”
Benoît Cantin France | Burgundy
2022 Fixin
René Bouvier France | Burgundy
2023 Saint-Aubin Rouge “Les Eduens”
Domaine Larue France | Burgundy
2022 Rully Blanc 1er Cru “Rabourcé”
Domaine de Villaine France | Burgundy
2022 Chablis “Vieilles Vignes”
Domaine Roland Lavantureux France | Burgundy
2022 Givry Blanc “Clos des Vignes Rondes”
Domaine François Lumpp France | Burgundy
2022 Irancy “La Grande Côte”
Benoît Cantin France | Burgundy
2019 Morey Saint Denis 1er Cru “La Riotte”
Domaine Taupenot-Merme France | Burgundy
2022 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru “Hameau de Blagny”
Domaine Comtesse de Chérisey France | Burgundy
2016 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru “Hameau de Blagny”
Comtesse de Chérisey France | Burgundy
2023 Vézelay Blanc “La Châtelaine”
La Sœur Cadette France | Burgundy
2023 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru “La Garenne”
Domaine Larue France | Burgundy
2022 Irancy “Cuvée Emeline”
Benoît Cantin France | Burgundy
2022 Fixin
René Bouvier France | Burgundy
2023 Saint-Aubin Rouge “Les Eduens”
Domaine Larue France | Burgundy
2022 Rully Blanc 1er Cru “Rabourcé”
Domaine de Villaine France | Burgundy
2022 Chablis “Vieilles Vignes”
Domaine Roland Lavantureux France | Burgundy
2022 Givry Blanc “Clos des Vignes Rondes”
Domaine François Lumpp France | Burgundy
2022 Irancy “La Grande Côte”
Benoît Cantin France | Burgundy
2019 Morey Saint Denis 1er Cru “La Riotte”
Domaine Taupenot-Merme France | Burgundy
Where the newsletter started

Where the newsletter started
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch