Alain inoculates for fermentation and believes in keeping bâtonnage to a minimum. He uses a combination of 400-liter oak puncheons and up to 25% new Burgundian pièce for the village-level wines. “We’re looking for a balance between the fruit and oak character,” explains Alain. “We want the wines’ minerality to show through.”

Puligny-Montrachet Les Charmes is a lieu-dit well-situated next to Meursault’s Premier Cru Les Charmes. The name charmes likely derives from champs, and means simply field or meadow. Here, heavier clay soils mix with limestone to deliver a wine that combines the richness and spiciness of Meursault with the elegance and minerality of Puligny.