Domaine Ramonet, Burgundy with Tasting notes
Domaine Ramonet
A Vertical Tasting Of Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet
It is the spring of 1978. A small man, 72 years of age and very much a peasant, with an old stained pullover, baggy trousers and the inevitable casquette on his head, arrives at a lawyer's office in Beaune. He is about to buy 25 ares and 90 centiares - enough to make about four and half barrels - of Le Montrachet, the finest white wine vineyard in the world. The vendors are the Milan and Mathey-Blanchet families: gentle people. Pierre Ramonet is a man of the soil. Apart from the occasional meal at some of his clients - Lameloise, Alan Chapel, Troisgros, Bocuse - he never ventures outside Chassagne-Montrachet. He hates the telephone. He rarely writes a letter. Such paper-work that needs to be done is achieved by Mother Ramonet, née Lucie Prudhon, whom you will never see dressed otherwise than in black, as befits old ladies throughout France, in an old school exercise book which she keeps in a drawer in her kitchen.
There is the question of payment. "Ah, yes," says Ramonet. He fishes in one pocket for a thick wad of notes, in another for a second, in the back of his trousers for a third, and so on. The stacks of money pile up on the attorney's desk. He has never seen such an amount of espèces in his life. "I think you'll find it all there," says Ramonet, uncomfortable in the formal surroundings of the lawyers' office. And he leaves, anxious to return to the familiarity of his cellar and his vines.
"Père" Ramonet was more than a character. He was, to use the old cliché - but it is true in this instance - a legend in his own lifetime. More or less from scratch, by dint of sheer hard work and a genius for wine, he built up one of the finest white wine domaines in Burgundy. Today the name of Ramonet is synonymous with top Chardonnay. The allocations for bottles are fought over, for every collector considers it his or her right to own some. They sell at auction for astronomical sums whenever they appear. On the rare occasions, as in January 1995 at the Montrachet restaurant in New York, when someone puts on a special vertical tasting and dinner, the tickets - and they are not cheap - are over-subscribed ten times. Ramonet in white is the equivalent of Henri Jayer or the DRC in red.
Pierre Ramonet died in 1994 at the age of 88. He is much missed. But his echo lives on, and the wines, in the able hands of his grandsons Noël (born 1962) and Jean-Claude (b. 1967) since the 1984 vintage, (mais sous ses ordres, stoutly avers Noël), continue his reputation. They are very fine. More importantly, they are also very individual. A Ramonet wine is a Ramonet wine before it is a Chassagne, or a Bienvenue, or a Bâtard....or a Montrachet.
History
The original Ramonets came from the Bresse on the other side of the river Saône from Chalon. A branch settled in Beaune in the 19th century, where they were millers. The mill failed, and one of them, Claude, moved to Chassagne, where he became a tâcheron - a vineyard worker who is paid by the amount of land he tends rather than by the day as a direct employee - for Colonel Vuillard, owner of the Château de Maltroye.
This second Claude had three children; a daughter who married Georges Bachelet (from whence comes today's Bachelet-Ramonet domaine) and two sons, Pierre, born in 1906 and Claude (b. 1914). This Claude never married, and died in 1977. Pierre married Lucie Prudhon, daughter of the Duc de Magenta's chef de culture at the Domaine de l'Abbaye de Morgeot. (For a time the wine was sold as Domaine Ramonet-Prudhon). They had a single child, their son André (b. 1934), father of Noël and Jean-Claude. André has never enjoyed good health and for some time has been more or less of an invalid. He has never had total responsibility for the Ramonet domaine.
Pierre Ramonet left school at the age of 8 to help his father in the vineyard. His first vineyard purchase was in Chassagne-Montrachet, Les Ruchottes, early in the 1930s. Exhibiting at the Beaune wine fair in 1938, he found himself being addressed by Raymond Baudoin, one of the founders of the Revue des Vins de France, and adviser to many of the nation's top restaurants. Baudoin had obviously encountered something disagreeable at a neighbouring stand. "Have you got anything to take the taste away," he asked. And was given some Ruchottes 1934. "Excellent!" pronounced Baudoin. "Do you have any for sale? Can I take away a couple of bottles?" Six months later he arrived in Chassagne with Frank Schoonmaker, one of the first Americans to seize the opportunity provided by the abolition of prohibition. Schoonmaker took 200 cases of both red and white - though the Ramonets did not get paid until after the war!
Baudoin was of similar assistance in getting the Ramonet wine onto the lists of the top restaurants in France: Taillevent in Paris, Point in Vienne, the Côte D'Or in Avallon - and this encouraged the opening up of a market for vente directe. And of course, after the war, and his settlement of the bill for the 1934s, Schoonmaker continued as the major export customer.
Slowly but surely the Ramonet domaine began to expand. They now possess vines in 7 Chassagne premiers crus (Ruchottes, Morgeots, Caillerets, Clos-de-la-Boudriotte, Clos-Saint-Jean, Chaumées and Vergers) and most of these were acquired in the 1940s and 1950s. In 1955, two adjoining parcels, one in Bâtard (45 a), one in Bienvenue (56 a), were obtained from Henri Coquet.
More recently the domaine has expanded into Saint-Aubin (Les Charmois) and into Puligny-Montrachet (Champ-Canet and village wine in Enseignières and Nosroyes: the best village appellation vineyards, says Noël Ramonet) and some Boudriottes white has been bought, while they have lost one hectare of Morgeot to another branch of the family. The total now exploited is 17 hectares.
An even more recent development, dating from 1998, is the exchange with the Domaine Jean Chartron of Bâtard-Montrachet must for Chevalier-Montrachet must. In this small way, therefore, the Ramonet brothers are merchants.
Wine-Making
In theory Noël is responsible in the cellar and his brother Jean-Claude in the vineyard. But in fact it seems to be a joint effort. Neither has had technical training, and so if you ask why they do this, or not do that, you will be unlikely to receive a coherent answer. The approach is empirical and instinctive. But it seems to work.
The Chardonnays are pruned to the Guyot system, the Pinots Noirs cordon trained. In the vineyard the yields are kept low, the average age of the vines maintained high, with no repiquage after a certain time. This means that, as has happened in Le Montrachet, whole parcels eventually have to be ripped up. The produce of the younger vines can then be vinified apart, and down-graded. This is the case today with half of the Montrachet.
The red wines, village Chassagne, Clos-Saint-Jean, Clos-de-la-Boudriotte and Morgeots, are partially destemmed, usually 50 percent, cold soaked for a few days, vinified in cement vats - there is a resistance to stainless steel here - macerated for 10 days, and matured using one-third new oak for a year, being both fined and lightly filtered.
There is a very noisy cooling unit for temperature control in the cellar. Above ground what looks like an ugly garage-type hangar stands over an extensive underground cellar hewn out of the rock. But the Ramonets express no interest in being able to cool down or warm up the wine in order to facilitate the malo-lactic. "We like to let nature take its course."
Unusually the Ramonets do not allow the gross lees to settle out before the fermentation of the white wine begins. "There are elements in the gross lees which are good," maintains Noël. Perhaps as a result of this, the wines are bâtonné-ed much less than elsewhere: only once a month for four months. Why? Because they fear that these gross lees would taint the wine. Fermentations are begun in tank, continued in wood - overall about one-third new - at 20-25°C, and the finished wine kept on the lees as long as possible before the first racking. A second racking takes place after a year or 15 months. The white wines, like the reds, are both fined and lightly filtered.
The cellar, both upstairs and downstairs, is not the neatest, most orderly cellar you have ever been into. Odd bits of machinery, adaptors for pipes, and boxes of this or that lie all over the place. You feel they have never had a tidy-up or thrown anything out. As you squeeze between a beaten-up truck and a redundant pumping machine to get below to sample the wines you find that the staircase is used as a cupboard for yet more accumulation of bits and pieces. It is like an ironmonger's nightmare.
But all this seems fitting when you meet Noël Ramonet. The man is in his early 40s, stocky, usually unshaven, in a dirty old T-shirt and jeans, with piercing blue eyes, a loud voice, and pre-emptory way of expressing himself. Finesse, order and method, and reflection are alien. Energy, passion and forthrightness is his manner. But when you listen, you realise that this is truly a chip off the old block. He reveres his grandfather. But he has his own full understanding of his métier. (He has also got one of the most magnificent - and eclectic - private cellars I have ever seen. All bought; none exchanged).
"Moins fins mais plus profonds," he will agree with you, when you sample the Chassagne, Morgeots white after the Saint-Aubin, Charmois. And the Boudriottes is more mineral, less fat and heavy, because this is on the semi-coteaux, while the Morgeots is in the plain. The Chaumées, despite being young vines, and the Vergers, show more finesse. They are properly on the slope. And the Caillerets and the Ruchottes are best of all. "Where the soils are really well drained, as here," explains Noël, "you will always have much less problem with botrytis." This is the heartland of Chassagne white.
Why is there such a sharp contrast between the Bienvenue - composed, accessible, discreet - and the Bâtard - closed, powerful, masculine? After all the vines are adjacent, and the same age. Noël shrugs. You feel he knows the answer. But he can't articulate it. And is his Bâtard his most consistently successful wine, better even than the Montrachet, which can be totally brilliant, but over the 17 years since the Ramonets have produced it, certainly not always? Is this a question you even dare ask?
I find the Ramonet reds refreshingly direct. They are full, ample and plump, nicely concentrated but nicely succulent at the same time. Chassagne reds will never be great, and can be over-extracted. But the Ramonets get theirs right.
The whites, on the other hand, are exceptional. They are distinctive, full-bodied and long-lasting. They are rich and masculine, firm and concentrated. They can be magnificent.
And they can also be flawed. This is a result of risks being taken. But often the flaws are by no means disagreeable; they lend individuality; they give character; they add an element of dimension. For me, a great wine often does have often something just a little bit "wrong" about it. And a squeaky-clean "perfect" wine is very rarely as interesting.
The Tasting
I sampled the following vintages of Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet, in Chassagne in September 2004.
1999 2009-2020
Subtle nose. Still a little closed. But ripe and concentrated and very distinguished. On the palate a little tight and adolescent. But fullish bodied. Lots of depth and very good acidity. Great class. Excellent concentrated, honeyed fruit. A firm wine. This is still very young. Potentially very lovely though.
1998 Now-2010
The colour is quite a lot more developed than the 1999, as is the nose. Ripe, plump, fruit-salady, and fresh if without having that much grip. Less developed on the palate but just about ready. Slightly herbal on the follow-through. Stylish. Good depth. But very good rather than fine.
1996 2006-2020
Some development on the colour. Lovely nose. Ripe, honeysuckle flavoured, ample and generous without a hint of high acidity. This means that on the palate we have a wine of real concentration and vigour. Full body. Multi-dimensional and still very youthful. Excellent. Will still improve.
1995 2006-2020+
Youthful colour. Full, rich, concentrated, very high quality nose. Very impressive. Nutty. Lots of dimension. Full bodied, very vigorous, very profound and multi-dimensional. Very good grip. Still very young. This is a brilliant example. Marvellous depth of fruit. Really quite powerful. Very, very long. Better even than the 1996 and 1999.
1992 Now-2015
Evolved colour. Fresh, fragrant, floral nose. Still with good vigour. Lots of depth and interest. Medium-full body. Good grip. Succulent peachy-hazelnut and peach stone flavours. Good vigour. A point. This is ripe and stylish and generous. Long on the palate and very lovely.
1990 Now-2008
Fully developed colour. More than the 1992. The nose is fully developed too. We have secondary and tertiary flavours here as well as a touch of oxidation as it developed. Fullish, quite fresh, but a wine for those who like old Burgundy. Lovely fruit in a slightly austere way underneath these fully developed aspects. Honeyed, ample flavours. Very good grip. Very good indeed.
1989 Now-2015
Slightly fresher on the colour than the 1990. Lovely fragrant nose. Soft echoes of raspberry, but peaches and spring flowers too. Medium-full body. Very lovely on the palate. Less fully developed than the 1990. Better grip. Ripe and fresh and composed. Long and complex and classy. Very fine.
1988 Drink Soon
Youthful colour. Fresh nose. Ample, spicy. The wine is equally plump and vigorous on the palate if with no great depth or concentration. Flowery rather than fruity. Not a blockbuster but holding up well. Very good for what it is but not great. The sample was slightly corked.
1986 Now-2010
Well matured colour. Ample nose. Rich and fat. Sensual. Fully mature but with no oxidation. Ripe, rich and voluptuous. Excellent balance. Fullish bodied, complex and with lots and lots of depth. Holding up well. Lots of class. Excellent.
1983 Now-2010
The last vintage made by grandfather Ramonet. Surprisingly fresh colour, even more youthful than the 1982. The nose is also very crisp. Ripe, rich and fat, but very fresh. Full but not a hint of the diffuse, the attenuated or oxidised. Very, very rich and honeyed on the palate. But excellent grip. Not a bit heavy. A wine for food. Very fine.
1982 Now-2010
Surprisingly youthful colour. Very, very lovely fresh, complex, peachy fruit on the nose. Round, multi-dimensional and very, very elegant. Medium-full body. Marvellous freshness and balance. Very subtle. Not the size of the 1983 but very profound and much more elegant. Still very youthful. Excellent.
1981 Drink Soon
Quite an evolved colour, but not too much so. Similar nose. Soft, with hazelnut and butterscotch touches. But fresh. Medium-body. It never had enormous depth and concentration, but it is still ripe and balanced enough to give pleasure. No undue age. Very good.
1979 Now-2008
Quite an evolved colour but a quite magnificent nose. Ripe, opulent, very classy, crisp, complex and very harmonious. Real class and real depth. On the palate this is multi-dimensional and very lovely. It won’t hold up that much longer, but it is still a great bottle of white wine: a little fuller, a little higher in acidity than the 1982, but more evolved. Magnificent.
1978 Drink Soon
An evolved colour but perhaps more vigorous than the 1979. Soft nose. No undue acidity, but not as complex as the above. On the palate too, less dimension and more evolution. Yet a higher acidity and more body than the 1979. Very good but not great. Slightly austere. The fruit is beginning to go.
1976 Drink Soon
An evolved colour once again. But a lovely ripe, complex nose, still holding up well. Honeyed. Quite fresh, complex, quite full palate. This is surprisingly good. Surprisingly elegant. More interest and more charm than the 1978. Ripe finish. Very good indeed.
1971 Drink Soon
Recorked 1996. Distinctly old gold on the colour. Ample, fresh, delicate nose. Lots of finesse. Very lovely fruit. Excellent harmony. This is surprisingly fresh, vigorous and positive for a 30-plus year old wine. Full body. Concentrated. Even firm. Very fine grip. A great wine.
1966 Drink Up
Recorked 1996. This looks like a light amontillado sherry, and there are some sherry hints (rather than oxidation or maderisation) on the nose. A little dry oloroso on the palate too. Good acidity. No longer white Burgundy but still has interest. Medium to medium-full body. The fruit has disappeared. The nose is the best bit.
1961 Drink Soon
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