The Garenne vineyard is quite high up the slope of Puligny with thin stony soil over limestone bedrock so the style is quite tight and mineral. A Garenne was a wooded area of an estate used for hunting. Grapes are hand-picked and sorted twice, once in the vineyard and then on a sorting table in the winery. Domaine Berthelemot is a relatively new (2006) domaine of 7.8 hectares with vineyards in some of the classic AOPs of the Côte de Beaune. Chardonnay grapes are very gently and slowly pressed and the juice goes straight into cask with neutral yeasts. A slow, cool fermentation is followed by lees bâtonnage until July and he has separate temperature controlled cellars for reds & whites. 25% of the oak for whites is new each year.

The wine is delicate with gentle floral notes on the nose, clean and very pure fruit on the palate and nice structure - the steely acidity having been softened by the malolactic fermentation. If you are looking to get the most out of this wine in its youth, try decanting it.