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 fora balance between the fruit and oak character,” explains Alain. “We want the wines’ minerality to show through.”

For some, Puligny-Montrachet is the ultimate white wine location on earth thanks to its perfect aspect and well-drained limestone soil. Alain Chavy’s Puligny-Montrachet comes from several parcels around Puligny from vines planted between 1965 and 1974. Parcels near Meursault have heavier soils, bringing body and power, while the gravel-limestone soils around Chassagne contribute elegance and minerality.