2021 Montagny, Mont-Cuchot, 1er Cru, Domaine Berthenet, Burgundy

Chardonnay is often seen as the king of white wine grapes and one of the most widely planted in the world It is suited to a wide variety of soils, though it excels in soils with a high limestone content as found in Champagne, Chablis, and the Côte D`Or. Burgundy is Chardonnay's spiritual home and the best White Burgundies are dry, rich, honeyed wines with marvellous poise, elegance and balance. They are unquestionably the finest dry white wines in the world. Chardonnay plays a crucial role in the Champagne blend, providing structure and finesse, and is the sole grape in Blanc de Blancs.

Based in the village of Montagny itself, the Berthenet family has been growing grapes for around four centuries, although the estate in its current form was set up in 1974. Initially it grew grapes for the co-op, but the decision was taken in 2001 to leave and begin bottling under its own name. They work sustainably, allowing grass to grow between rows and working the soil rather than using herbicides. They farm 20 hectares in total, 90 percent of which is planted with white grapes.