Roger Belland Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru “Les Champs Gains” 2020

The Roger-Joseph Belland winery has been owned by the Belland family for the sixth generation. The vineyards are mostly located in the best terroirs of Les Maranges, Santenay, Chassagne Montrachet, Puligny Montrachet, Meursault, Volnay and Pommard Premiers and Grands Crus. The harvest is done entirely by hand, with a very careful selection of the best grapes, which are later moved into very small boxes so that nothing spoils the perfect berries. Maceration and fermentation, thanks to modern technologies, take place at very low temperatures to create complex, pleasantly round and fruity wines. After aging in French oak barrels, the wines are bottled right there in the winery.

Puligny-Montrachet is a village in the central part of Côte-de-Beaune Burgundy. The village was originally called simply Puligny, and in 1879 a portion of Montrachet was added to honor his iconic Grand Cru vineyard, Le Montrachet. Undoubtedly, the success of the Chardonnay grapes here is the result of several factors. The geographical location and the hilly nature of the vineyards, the composition of the soil and the microclimate - all this allows producers to grow high-quality grapes from which great wines are made. Many generations of winemakers have carefully studied the area, developing a detailed topographic map of the area and highlighting the places that are best suited for quality viticulture. In recent years, with the help of modern technology, extensive analysis has been carried out to continue this work and verify the exact relationship between soil and wine quality. Although difficult to determine, the positive impact of the limestone soils and the special climate of Pulinyi is undeniable. In 1984, INAO (the government body in charge of the French appeals system) formally delineated and classified the land around the village into 17 Pulliny-Montrachet vineyard plots of 1er Cru level. Wines from such sites can be labeled with their own vineyard name. However, the local wines became famous long before the official recognition of local vineyards.

Burgundy (Bourgogne) can be confusing because of the multiplicity of its appellations - all the small vineyards are divided between multiple producers so it can often be difficult to understand this diversity. However, it is the exact reason why the wines of Burgundy are considered to be the finest in the world. A common topic of discussion, when talking about Burgundy, is the concept of "terroir" - a unique combination of soil and climate conditions that affects the taste of wine in the appellations, making it unique to each village. Winemakers mainly use the capricious Pinot Noir and the classical Chardonnay to create true masterpieces, while Gamay and Aligote are used to make wines of a bit simpler style. Particular attention should be paid to the hierarchy of wines. First there are the regional and village wines, a step higher - the Premier Cru wines and the outstanding Grand Cru - at the top. Due the complex and inconsistent weather that can notably impact wine quality especially in bad harvest years, a very important factor here is the so called millesime - the harvest year of the grapes the particular wine is produced of, because each of these years has its own unique taste. Purchasing Burgundy wines is not easy because there are many details that should be taken into consideration - the class of the vineyard, the assessment of the manufacturer, the age of the vines, the quality of the wine as well as the millesime and, of course, the potential of ageing. The sellers play a big role here - they must be truly passionate about wine and able to offer only the best quality producers with a good reputation. That is exactly the way "Noble Wine" works!