2010 Puligny-Montrachet, Domaine Alain Chavy, Burgundy, France, Puligny-Montrachet

Few villages in the Côte d’Or are as famous as Puligny-Montrachet, home to some of the world’s most acclaimed vineyards. Surprisingly, only a small number of the wines bearing the name of the appellation are actually made by vintners located in the village. However, this is the case for Alain Chavy.

Alain’s 7 hectares estate has the distinction of possessing the deepest cellar (5.5 meters) in Puligny. The high water table of the village makes it difficult to dig a proper cellar and as a result, most of Puligny’s domains have cellars above the ground that rely on air conditioning. The barrels resting in Chavy’s beautiful, arched cavern contain wine from some of the finest premier cru vineyards found in the appellation.

Alain Chavy does not own land in any of the illustrious Grand Crus that stare down on his domain, but he is able to express the essence of Puligny through some of its finest premier crus. His winemaking is hands off, and a low percentage of new oak allows the terroir to shine through in these pure, elegant wines.