Domaine Ramonet

One of the most sought after domaines in all of Burgundy, particularly for white wines, Domaine Ramonet was first created by Pierre Ramonet, a man who was known for being salt-of-the-earth and a true character. His father's family had come from Bresse to settle in Beaune. They were a family of millers, but when the mill failed, Claude, his father, became a vineyard worker instead. In 1914, Pierre left school at 8-years-old in order to help his father in the vineyards. He eventually purchased his first vineyard – Chassagne-Montrachet Les Ruchottes - in the early 1930s and shortly thereafter was discovered by Frank Schoonmaker, the father of wine imports. Over the years, the domaine began to develop, adding more vineyard land. It is understood that in 1978, Pierre paid for almost 10 hectares of Montrachet with cash he had taken out of his pockets. Pierre passed away in 1994 at the age of 88, and today, the domaine is run by his two grandsons - Noël and Jean-Claude. They currently have 17 hectares, including 7 Premier Cru appellations from Chassagne and an incredible 4 grand crus in white - Montrachet, Bâtard, Chevalier and Bienvenues - possibly the most of any smaller domaine in Burgundy. Many experts agree that Ramonet wines are all individualistic, saying that first and foremost it is a Ramonet before it is a Chassagne or a Bâtard. They tend to produce wine 'the old fashioned way' - fade winemaking needs to found elsewhere. Complex and ultra fine, their wines are some of the greatest white Burgundies produced today.