Chateau de la Maltroye
In the village of Chassagne-Montrachet, where white Burgundy wines reach some of their finest expressions, stands an 18th-century mansion with a really distinctive tiled roof. This is Château de la Maltroy, a family estate which, for over eighty years, has been quietly producing some of the region’s most highly regarded wines.
History
Historical records indicate that a fortified house stood on this site as early as the 13th century, when the local seigneury of Chassagne was first mentioned in documents. The building we see today dates mainly from the 18th century; it was built on the ruins of an earlier 15th-century structure, whose vaulted cellars have survived and are still used for wine storage.
In 1940, the Burgundian financier Marcel Picard acquired this estate along with most of its vineyards. His family managed it for decades until 1993, when Jean-Pierre Cournoux, Picard’s grandson and at the time an aeronautical engineer, became the owner and winemaker following the deterioration in his father André’s health. Since then, Cournou has been at the helm of the estate, modernising the winery whilst keeping the historic cellars in operation.
Vineyards
The estate’s holdings cover an area of between 13 and 16 hectares in Chassagne-Montrachet, as well as around 2 hectares of ‘Premier Cru’ vineyards in the neighbouring village of Santenay. Behind the château, the land slopes down towards the main road; most of it lies within the ‘Maltroie’ Premier Cru (Maltroie), which is divided into three parts: ‘Maltroie’, ‘Maltroie Crêtes’ and the walled ‘Clos de la Maltroie’, a single plot belonging to a single owner and named after the estate itself.
The vineyard Dent de Chien lies directly next to Le Montrachet, the most famous vineyard of Burgundy and maybe even worldwide.
Terroir
Chassagne-Montrachet is situated on limestone soil; in the ‘Maltroie’ climat, there is a hard limestone subsoil mixed with sand and small stones, whilst clay predominates in the plots planted with Pinot Noir. This diversity of soils within a relatively small area is typical of Burgundy and explains why, even within a single Premier Cru, the character of the grapes can vary significantly from one corner to another.
Grapes
Only two grape varieties are grown here, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, in a ratio of approximately 60:40 in favour of white. Many of the vines are over fifty years old; they were planted long before Cournu’s arrival.
Although white wine production now predominates in Chassagne-Montrachet, Cournu has ensured that Pinot Noir retains a significant role on the estate, producing red wines that are considered among the best in the village.
Winemaking
The grapes are harvested and sorted by hand, with yields deliberately kept low. The red wines undergo cold maceration before fermentation, whilst the whites ferment using natural yeasts. The wines are aged in traditional Burgundian oak barrels: the reds for around 14–18 months, and the whites for a shorter period, from 8 to 10 months, after which they are bottled in the same 15th-century cellars that the estate has used since time immemorial.
Wines
Around 70 per cent of the estate’s production holds ‘Premier Cru’ or ‘Grand Cru’ status, including a small quantity of Bâtard-Montrachet.
Among the standout wines are the mineral-driven white with lemony notes, ‘Dent de Chien’, and the monopole ‘Clos de la Maltroye’, produced in both red and white versions from grapes grown directly behind the château.
The Chassagne Montrachet Dent de Chien is very sought after, as the vineyard lies directly next to the Le Montrachet vineyards.
The red wines, which are becoming increasingly rare in this corner of Burgundy, are widely regarded as offering one of the best value for money in the region.
