Domaine Marc-Antonin Blain, Batard-Montrachet

Domaine Marc-Antonin Blain sits at the crossroads of Burgundy's greatest traditions and a new generation of precision. Based in Chassagne-Montrachet, Marc-Antonin draws on parcels inherited from his grandfather Henri Blain, who also managed Domaine Leflaive. His Bâtard-Montrachet comes from vines straddling Chassagne and Puligny: deep, chalk-clay soils that give the wine its natural breadth and tension. Fermented and aged in fine French oak, with a restrained proportion of new barrels, the wine is neither forced nor stylised; the focus is on purity and texture. Each vintage captures the site's quiet power: layers of orchard fruit and citrus, underpinned by fine minerality and a savoury edge from long lees ageing. The palate shows both concentration and balance, evolving with time in the glass and, more profoundly, in the cellar. This is a Bâtard crafted with patience and respect for place: a grand cru expression of clarity and poise.