Bachey-Legros

Domaine Bachey-Legros is based in Santenay, at the southern end of the Côte de Beaune. The family has held vines in the commune since the nineteenth century. The brothers Samuel and Lénaïc have run the estate since 2008, when they also set up a small négociant business alongside the domaine; their mother Christiane Bachey-Legros remains involved. It farms around eighteen hectares, in Santenay above all, with parcels in Chassagne-Montrachet and Maranges.

Much of the holding was planted between 1935 and 1955, and some parcels are older still, which is why many of the bottlings carry a Vieilles Vignes mention. Santenay's premiers crus fall into two groups and the domaine works both. On the north-eastern slope, which runs down towards Chassagne-Montrachet, are La Comme in red and the Clos des Gravières in white. At the opposite, south-western end of the commune, past the combe that splits Santenay in two and towards Dezize-lès-Maranges, sits Clos Rousseau, again in red and from old vines. A village Santenay blanc from the lieu-dit En Charron and a Chassagne-Montrachet from Les Plantes Momières sit below them. A Morgon Côte du Py comes through the négociant side and is the one bottle here from outside Burgundy: Gamay on the blue volcanic rock of the Côte du Py.

The vineyards are worked under lutte raisonnée, with attention given to the soils; the estate holds no organic or biodynamic certification. A new cuverie was built in 2017. Whites are pressed gently, fermented at low temperature in barrel and raised twelve to fifteen months; extraction on the reds is deliberately restrained. The reds show dark cherry and a savoury, earthy note over fine tannin, the old vines reading as depth rather than weight; the whites run to citrus and orchard fruit with a stony finish. Arcana Cabinet lists five wines from the domaine: the Santenay premiers crus La Comme and Clos Rousseau in red and Clos des Gravières in white, the village Santenay En Charron in white, and the Morgon Côte du Py. The range also includes Chassagne-Montrachet and Maranges.