Florent Garaudet
Appellation: Bourgogne, Meursault, Monthelie, Pommard, Puligny-Montrachet and Volnay
Proprietor: Florent Garaudet
Year Founded: 2008
Size: 11.5 hectares
Farming Practices: Lutte Raisonnée
Out From the Shadows
Monthélie has long played the role of shrinking violet in the Côte de Beaune. Florent Garaudet has bolder ideas.
Every village in Burgundy has its own particular claim to fame, but Monthélie’s may be the funniest. The town is so damn pretty—yet its itsy-bitsy AOC so overshadowed by neighboring Meursault and Volnay—that “it’s without a doubt the most unintentionally photographed appellation in the Côte de Beaune.” So reckons La Revue du Vin de France, which has lamented the injustice of it all. We agree—but it took a memorable tasting with a young upstart named Florent Garaudet to show us what we (like so many others) had been missing.
Florent is a native son who’s cut from a different cloth. After studying viticulture in Beaune, the 5th-generation Monthélie vigneron left his home turf, going first to Château La Roque in Languedoc before working his way to become cellar master at Pomerol’s Château L’Enclos. Those early experiences gave him the confidence to chart an independent path. Rather than work alongside his father Paul, who’d served as president of the appellation for some 30 years, he came back and founded his own domain. Beginning with half a hectare from his maternal grandmother and 1.5 hectares from his paternal grandmother—spread between 7 climats in Monthélie, Meursault, and Puligny-Montrachet—he poured huge amounts of energy into making cuvées in volumes so small he joked that they “were almost non-existent.”
Word soon began to spread, and we went to see for ourselves. By then Florent had taken over another hectare that had belonged to his great-grandfather, and was beginning to cultivate a clos his father had long worked. He was humming with ambition and a good-humored boisterousness, and his wines channeled that charisma with unexpected sophistication: they were full of energy and brambly flair, yet unfailingly pretty in their careful delineation.
Monthélie’s Pinot Noir vines, perched higher than those in Volnay and Pommard, always ripen later—drawing a subtly different energy from similar soils. Florent’s .3-hectare parcel in 1er Cru Les Champs Fulliot, for instance, was planted in 1972 in shallow clay-limestone whose southeast-facing contour is a continuation of Volnay’s 1er Cru Clos des Chenes. Its brightly perfumed red fruit shimmers within a spry structure that balances opulent concentration with light-footed grace. A similar hint of Pommard-like power melded with Volnay-like elegance is evident in the 1er Cru Les Riottes, from 80-year-old vines on a steep spur above the village. And Florent’s Monthélie Vielles Vignes showcases the wide aromatic spectrum that marks the village’s crunchy but supple reds, as spiced strawberries and plums alternate with sage amid earthy umami bass notes.
The tiny appellation produces Chardonnay as well—no surprise, with Meursault next door—and Florent outdoes himself here as well. Sourcing barrels from four or five coopers with varying levels of toast, he crafts amply proportioned yet supremely balanced whites whose fruit glistens against their tactile minerality. His Monthélie Sous le Cellier cuvée exemplifies the style: dense on the nose but lifted on the palate, with a marvelous texture suggesting finely brushed chalk that imparts a suave creaminess to its stone-fruit aromatics and lengthy saline finish. Vielle Vignes bottlings from Monthélie and Puligny-Montrachet offer similar depth within their stony sheens.
It’s not hard to find reasons why Monthélie’s producers have historically struggled to establish a durable reputation for their 130-hectare AOC. It’s small. Its production of red and white poses a branding challenge. Its neighbors Volnay and Meursault cast long shadows. And before climate change, those high-elevation vineyards could be tough going. But it’s also no wonder that it has lately attracted substantial outside investment—both from unexpected sources including De Montille, Coche-Dury and Comtes Lafon, and, less surprisingly, Leflaive and Faiveley.
We’ll gladly root for all of these newcomers. But for our money (which, incidentally, goes a lot further in Monthélie than virtually anywhere else on the Côte de Beaune), the most compelling jeune vigneron is this prodigal son who’s already spent 15 years scaling the village’s learning curve. After displaying the chutzpah to hang his own shingle and master the terroir plot by plot, Florent has now turned another corner that promises even more exciting rewards. When his father Paul retired in 2020, the family’s core holdings passed to him, tripling his domain to 11.5 hectares. From other well-situated Monthélie parcels to plots in Pommard in 1er Cru Volnay, it’s an enviable set of jewels—in the hands of someone with hard-earned knowledge of how to polish them. The knock on his tiny home appellation has long been that it lacks a steady reference point for unfamiliar consumers. True enough, as far as it goes. But so is this: Florent Garaudet is well on his way to becoming that gold standard.
Wines:
Varietal/Blend: Chardonnay
Vineyard Area: From a .28-hectare parcel in Meursault that was planted in 1966
Soil: Clay-limestone
Elevation: 225 meters
Exposure: South
Vinification: Grapes are harvested by hand and carried to the winery before being pneumatically pressed at low pressure. The must then settles for a period of 1-2 days before being gravity-fed to barrels for fermentation and maturation.
Maturation: 12 months (40% new barrels of 400 liters and the rest in 228 liter barrels)
Varietal/Blend: Chardonnay
Vineyard Area: From a .28-hectare parcel just south of the village of Meursault planted in 1966
Soil: Clay-limestone
Elevation: 225 meters
Exposure: South
Vinification: Grapes harvested by hand and carried to the winery before being pneumatically pressed at low pressure. The must then settles for a period of 1-2 days before being gravity-fed to barrels for fermentation and maturation.
Maturation: After 12 months in oak (40% new barrels of 400 liters and the rest in 228 liter barrels), Garaudet takes the best of them and assembles this cuvée.
Marketing Materials:
Varietal/Blend: Chardonnay
Vineyard Area: Meursault "Vieilles Vignes" is drawn from a diversity of lieux-dits around the village. The first is En Gargouillot, situated below "Les Santenots" on a gentle, east-facing slope adjacent to Volnay; Les Forges (the largest holding) is nestled above the village on a steeper, southwest-facing hillside; the more celebrated Limozin, on southern end of the village sits just below 1er Cru Genevrières; and Sous la Velle, on a flat section below the village, contains some of the richest soils. The vines are an average of 50 years old.
Soil: Limestone-rich clay with chalk depending on the site
Elevation: 230-250 meters
Exposure: Southwest — East
Vinification: Grapes harvested by hand and carried to the winery before being pneumatically pressed at low pressure. The must then settles for a period of 1-2 days before being gravity-fed to barrels for fermentation and maturation.
Maturation: 12 months (50% new barrels of 400 liters and rest in 228 liter pièces)
Marketing Materials:
Varietal/Blend: Chardonnay
Vineyard Area: Sous le Cellier is situated just above the village of Monthelie on a modest slope. Garaudet's .3-hectare plot was planted in 1986.
Soil: Clay loam over limestone
Elevation: 270-280 meters
Exposure: Southwest
Vinification: Grapes harvested by hand and carried to the winery before being pneumatically pressed at low pressure. The must then settles for a period of 1-2 days before being gravity-fed to barrels for fermentation and maturation.
Maturation: 12 months (45% new oak)
Marketing Materials:
Varietal/Blend: Chardonnay
Vineyard Area: Puligny-Montrachet "Vielles Vignes" comes from 45-year-old vines in the flatter, lower hillside lieux-dits of Les Boudrières, La Rue Aux Vaches, Les Reuchaux and Derrière la Velle.
Soil: Gravelly clay-limestone
Elevation: 230 meters
Exposure: South-southeast
Vinification: Grapes harvested by hand and carried to the winery before being pneumatically pressed at low pressure. The must then settles for a period of 1-2 days before being gravity-fed to barrels for fermentation and maturation.
Maturation: 12 months (50% new barrels)
Marketing Materials:
Varietal/Blend: Pinot Noir
Vineyard Area: From vines planted in 2012 and 1982 covering .25 hectares in Puligny-Montrachet
Soil: Clay-limestone
Elevation: 230 meters
Exposure: South
Vinification: Grapes are harvested by hand, carried to the winery and completely destemmed before a 20-day maceration, during which, punching of the cap is performed once or twice daily. After a gentle press of the grapes, the must ferments in stainless tank and later racked to French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation and maturation.
Maturation: 12 months in used barrels
Marketing Materials:
Varietal/Blend: Pinot Noir
Vineyard Area: Monthelie "Vieilles Vignes" is drawn from three parcels amounting to 1 hectare of vines planted in 1976. Among Garaudet's holdings is a plot in Les Toisières. This lieu-dit abuts Meursault Premier Cru Les Caillerets where Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are classified as a first growth. The soils are of clay-limestone loam composition over a limestone substrate.
Soil: Clay-limestone loam over limestone bedrock
Elevation: 280 meters
Exposure: South
Vinification: Grapes are harvested by hand, carried to the winery and completely destemmed before a 20-day maceration, during which, punching of the cap is performed once or twice daily. After a gentle press of the grapes, the must ferments in stainless tank and later racked to French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation and maturation.
Maturation: 12 months (30% new oak)
Marketing Materials:
Varietal/Blend: Pinot Noir
Vineyard Area: La Taupine is among the smallest vineyards within a cluster of Premier cru vineyards on the eastern side of the village closest to Volnay and Meursault. Garaudet .16-hectare parcel was planted in 1992.
Soil: Light brown clayey-silty loam over lava rock-textured limestone bedrock
Elevation: 295 meters
Exposure: South
Vinification: Grapes are harvested by hand, carried to the winery and completely destemmed before a 20-day maceration, during which, punching of the cap is performed once or twice daily. After a gentle press of the grapes, the must ferments in stainless tank and later racked to French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation and maturation.
Maturation: 18 months in 228-liter oak barrels (50% new)
Marketing Materials:
Varietal/Blend: Pinot Noir
Vineyard Area: Les Champs Fulliot is situated on the eastern side of the village above "Les Santenots" of Meursault and Volnay and adjacent to Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chenes. Gauradet's .3-hectare plot was planted in 1972.
Soil: Shallow and poor brownish clay-limestone loam over limestone bedrock
Elevation: 290 meters
Exposure: Southeast
Vinification: Grapes are harvested by hand, carried to the winery and completely destemmed before a 20-day maceration, during which, punching of the cap is performed once or twice daily. After a gentle press of the grapes, the must ferments in stainless tank and later racked to French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation and maturation.
Maturation: 18 months oak barrels (50% new)
Marketing Materials:
Varietal/Blend: Pinot Noir
Vineyard Area: Les Riottes is situated on a spur above the village where the slope is relatively steep. Garaudet's .25-hectare plot was planted in 1962.
Soil: Red clay-limestone loam over limestone bedrock
Elevation: 320 meters
Exposure: South
Vinification: Grapes are harvested by hand, carried to the winery and completely destemmed before a 20-day maceration, during which, punching of the cap is performed once or twice daily. After a gentle press of the grapes, the must ferments in stainless tank and later racked to French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation and maturation.
Maturation: 18 months in 228-liter oak barrels (50% new)
Marketing Materials:
Varietal/Blend: Pinot Noir
Vineyard Area: Pommard "Vieilles Vignes" comes exclusively from the lower portion of La Vache and is situated just above the village on the middle portion of the hillside on an ample slope. Garaudet's holding comprises almost 1 hectare and was planted in 1977.
Soil: Shallow, brownish clay-limestone loam over limestone bedrock
Elevation: 290 meters
Exposure: Southeast
Vinification: Grapes are harvested by hand, carried to the winery and completely destemmed before a 20-day maceration, during which, punching of the cap is performed once or twice daily. After a gentle press of the grapes, the must ferments in stainless tank and later racked to French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation and maturation.
Maturation: 18 months in oak barrels (50% new) bottling un-fined and unfiltered
Marketing Materials:
Varietal/Blend: Pinot Noir
Vineyard Area: Volnay "Vieilles Vignes" comes from a total .37 hectares in the lieux-dits of Les Pasquiers et Les Lurets. Both are south of the village on gentle slopes.
Soil: Clay-limestone loam with silt and chalk over limestone bedrock
Elevation: 230 meters
Exposure: Southeast
Vinification: Grapes are harvested by hand, carried to the winery and completely destemmed before a 20-day maceration, during which, punching of the cap is performed once or twice daily. After a gentle press of the grapes, the must ferments in stainless tank and later racked to French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation and maturation.
Maturation: 18 months (50% new oak) bottled un-fined and unfiltered
Marketing Materials:
Varietal/Blend: Pinot Noir
Vineyard Area: Ronceret is located on the far eastern side of the appellation on village's lower hillside. Garaudet's plot covers .19 hectares and was planted in 1987.
Soil: Shallow clay-limestone loam with rocky surface over limestone bedrock
Elevation: 240 meters
Exposure: Southeast
Vinification: Grapes are harvested by hand, carried to the winery and completely destemmed before a 20-day maceration, during which, punching of the cap is performed once or twice daily. After a gentle press of the grapes, the must ferments in stainless tank and later racked to French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation and maturation.
Maturation: 18 months in barrel (50% new)
Marketing Materials:
