Domaine Ramonet - The undisputed master of Chassagne-Montrachet. Although Ramonet is best known for white wines—and rightly so—this producer's red Clos Saint-Jean is superb wine with eye-opening depth and character, as is the red Clos de la Boudriotte. Among the whites, the commune-level Chassagne puts to shame most premier cru bottlings. The Ramonet whites seem to have an almost resinous character, so intense is the fruit. The white Morgeot is an exercise in sophisticated excess. Who says that you can't have too much of a good thing? Also, elegant, greacful Ruchottes and Caillerets. This producer's Chassagnes are the wines against which the others are judged.

If there's a flaw it's that Ramonet was famously reluctant to bottle his wines, with the result that the American importer (Seagram Chateau & Estate) had to haul off barrels to a négociant (Maison Noirot-Carriere) to get some of them bottled, while Ramonet waited until he got around to do his own bottling. The domaine bottled versions are significantly superior. This problem seems to have ended, perhaps because Andre Ramonet (son of Pierre, who is in fading health at eighty-five) has turned over more of the winemaking responsibilities to his sons Jean-Claude and Noel.

Domaine Ramonet—The master of Bienvenues.  Ramonet's Bienvenues is superior to the majority of Montrachets and Batard Montrachets. That's how intense and concentrated is this wine. How does Ramonet do it? The wine has an amazing resinous scent that blossoms early in the wine's life. For once, it's not infanticide to drink a wine when it is, say, just five years old.