Bachey Legros 2023
Bachey-Legros is a winery I have been quietly promoting for the last several vintages. Back in 2021, a client brought the Bachey-Legros Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot “Les Petits Clos Vieilles Vignes” to one of our wine lunches. We always taste blind, and considering there were wines from Roulot and Ramonet in the lineup that day, this bottle left a number of us speechless at the reveal. Nobody knew the wine—but I knew I had to learn more.
On my trip to France that year, I met with Samuel Legros, who explained that he and his brother farm 19 hectares spread across three communes—Santenay, Maranges, and Chassagne-Montrachet—working with both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The jewel of the domaine is a two-hectare lieu-dit, “Les Petits Clos,” located in the upper-middle section of Morgeot, just below Les Grands Ruchottes and La Romanée. Here, the balance of calcareous limestone brings freshness and minerality, while clay and deeper soils provide richness and body. It’s this ideal soil mix, combined with old vines and low yields, that delivers such a compelling white Burgundy.
Morgeot itself covers just over 58 hectares (143 acres) across roughly 20 lieux-dits. As an umbrella appellation, producers may choose to label wines under the individual lieu-dit or simply as Morgeot.
I’ve been buying nearly everything the U.S. importer brings into California—which likely explains why you haven’t seen this wine widely elsewhere. This drinks like the famous names at a fraction of the price. Expect minerality and richness, paired with incredible energy and lift. The wine fans out across the palate and finishes with a lip-smacking persistence that has you reaching for another sip. If you haven’t discovered this yet, do yourself a favor—this is first-rate.
I haven’t seen any published reviews, which suits me just fine and certainly helps keep the price in check. I opened a bottle of the 2023 while writing this, and what stands out most is the texture and mouthfeel—absolutely top-tier. The first sip gently coats the palate; as you swallow, the depth and energy emerge, with flavors expanding through the mid-palate and along the jawline. The freshness and acidity on the finish go on and on. “Impressive” hardly covers it. You could easily spend $200 and not drink better. Buy with confidence—I’ll even extend my Money Back Guarantee on this one. You won’t be disappointed.
