Domaine Bernard-Bonin Les Folatieres 1er Cru Puligny Montrachet 2020

Since 1998, Domaine Bernard-Bonin has been run impeccably by Nicolas Bernard and Veronique Bonin, a daughter of the well-known Michelot family. The talented couple own and cultivate 7 hectares, including vineyards in Meursault, Meursault 1er Cru, and Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru. Nicolas follows time-honored winegrowing traditions; hand-harvesting, respecting the phases of the moon and employing minimal intervention in the cellar. Each wine expresses a personality derived from its terroir, its character fashioned by the climatic variances of the year, with the premier cru vineyards harvested last. The wines are aged in oak barrels for 1518 months. During this time, each barrel is tasted individually to determine the optimum exchange between wine and lees, with no sulfur additions, only active CO2 to protect the wine in the barrel. The lees are stirred at the beginning stages of malolactic fermentation, which keeps the lees in suspension, and the wine reaches approximately 3g/L of residual sugar. There is no racking of the wines during levage, and only one racking before going into tank in December for four months before bottling in March. Once the lees settle entirely, there is no more btonnage after April/May.

Puligny’s largest 1er Cru vineyard (17ha) and considered one of its finest, on the same slope and contour level as Montrachet and Chevalier-Montrachet. “Folatires” means “folles-terres” in old French, and was considered a haunted site. The Bonin’s parcel is located within the lieu-dit of “Peux Bois” (1.5ha) meaning “ugly wood” just next to the “En la Richarde” parcel. This is just above the slope from Le Cailleret, and just alongside Les Demoiselles, north of Chevalier-Montrachet.