2024 Bachelet-Monnot Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières, Burgundy

The 2024 Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatières 1er Cru is much more backward than the Les Referts at the moment. Crushed stone, a little more yellow fruit by comparison, a hint of orange blossom. It's alluringly standoffish! The palate is quite intense, focused and delineated. Not quite the amplitude or ambition of the Les Referts but it does fan out wonderfully on the finish, suggesting there is something there for those with the nous to leave it in the cellar for a few years.

92-94 points, Neal Martin, Vinous

Far right end, higher up on the mother rock. A lifted bright lemon colour. Class on the nose, rather than evident weight. Stylish and ethereal, with a good acid-based backbone, dances to the back of the palate. Note the style from the location of the vineyard, a cooler plot within the large Folatières vineyard. Very long finish indeed for the vintage. Drink from 2030-2036.

92-95 points, Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burgundy

Brothers Marc and Alexandre Bachelet have propelled their small family domaine in Dezize-lès-Maranges into Burgundy’s top tier, with their whites now fiercely chased by collectors. Les Folatières is one of Puligny-Montrachet’s most celebrated Premier Crus, sitting high on the slope above the village. Its thin, stony limestone soils and elevated position produce wines renowned for perfume, finesse and a thrilling mineral line — a beautiful match for the Bachelets’ restrained style.

The 2024 vintage was tiny and hard won, with cool, wet conditions demanding relentless vineyard work. The reward for meticulous growers was fruit with terrific freshness and aromatic clarity. Folatières’ higher position and limestone-heavy soils amplify that energy, while careful barrel maturation builds texture without burying the vineyard beneath oak. There’s serious concentration here, but it arrives with Puligny grace rather than brute force.

Pale gold with green highlights, the nose opens with Meyer lemon, white peach and crisp pear before acacia blossom and grapefruit oil emerge. With air come crushed limestone, toasted almond, struck flint and a little fresh brioche. The palate is beautifully tensile, with citrus and stone fruit wrapped around a silky core. Bright acidity and chalky minerality keep everything moving, leading into a long finish of lemon oil, salted almond and wet stone.

Let’s travel with this one: Hokkaido scallops with yuzu butter, Cantonese steamed fish with ginger and spring onion, tempura king prawns, lobster ravioli with sage butter or roast chicken with preserved lemon. 

Cellaring: Drink from 2029 to 2045.