Domaine Borgeot Puligny-Montrachet "Les Meix" 2023

Notes:

Producer: Domaine Borgeot is a family property based in Rémigny, immediately south of Chassagne-Montrachet, and today is run by brothers Laurent and Pascal Borgeot. The family has grown vines in the Côte de Beaune for several generations, with holdings extending through Santenay, Chassagne-Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet and Saint-Aubin. The brothers work their vineyards under lutte raisonnée, adapting treatments to conditions rather than following a fixed program, and harvest their fruit by hand. Their cellar philosophy is similarly responsive to the growing season: temperature control, careful sorting and restrained oak are used according to the needs of each wine rather than according to a single recipe. Chardonnay forms an important part of the range, from regional and village wines through Premier Cru sites in Chassagne, Saint-Aubin and Puligny. The domaine’s Puligny holdings include Les Meix, Les Grands Champs, Vieilles Vignes and Premier Cru Champs Gains, giving the Borgeots several different expressions of the appellation.
Vineyard: Les Meix is a named village-level lieu-dit in Puligny-Montrachet rather than a Premier Cru, and Borgeot bottles the site separately instead of folding the fruit into a broader Puligny blend. One of its most notable features is vine age: the domaine’s vines here are at least 50 years old. Puligny sits on the limestone-dominated slopes of the Côte de Beaune, where Chardonnay benefits from the drainage and calcareous geology responsible for the appellation’s naturally firm profile. The 2023 vintage was generous in Burgundy, with even flowering and regular summer rainfall producing a sizable crop. July and early August were relatively cool, allowing gradual maturation before a late-August heat spike accelerated ripening and compressed the picking window for white grapes. Growers had to control yields and make careful harvest decisions to preserve acidity; Borgeot employed green harvesting and selection to manage the abundant crop. The resulting vintage delivered ripe Chardonnay with ample aromatic expression while maintaining the freshness needed to give Puligny definition.
Winemaking: The 100% Chardonnay is harvested by hand and sorted, with temperature management playing an important role from the moment the grapes arrive at the winery. Borgeot cools the fruit before fermentation and adjusts its cellar decisions according to the vintage. For Les Meix, élevage is carried out in French oak, with approximately 25% new barrels and 75% barrels between one and five years old documented for the cuvée. This mix provides the gradual oxygen exchange and textural development of barrel maturation while keeping the majority of the wine away from new wood. Borgeot’s broader white-wine practice also includes careful pressing and controlled fermentation temperatures, with the objective of retaining the fruit and freshness of Chardonnay while giving the wines enough élevage to develop additional breadth. The 2023 Les Meix is listed at 13% ABV by Vins Rare, fitting the balance of ripeness and freshness found in the vintage.
Technical Details: Puligny-Montrachet AOC; Les Meix lieu-dit; 2023 vintage; 100% Chardonnay; village-level single-vineyard bottling; vines minimum 50 years old; hand harvested; fruit sorted before vinification; grapes cooled prior to fermentation; matured in French oak; approximately 25% new oak and 75% one- to five-year-old barrels; 13% ABV; 750ml standard bottle. The cuvée is also produced in 1.5L magnum, confirming that Les Meix is treated as an individual bottling within the domaine’s Puligny range rather than simply as part of its village blend.
Food Pairing: Seared scallops, grilled lobster, Dover sole, turbot, roasted halibut, sole meunière, crab, roast chicken, chicken with morels, veal medallions, mushroom risotto, gougères, Comté, Beaufort, and Gruyère. The old-vine Chardonnay has enough breadth for lobster, poultry and richer fish, while Puligny’s freshness and mineral profile work naturally with shellfish and simply prepared seafood.