The background to this domaine is pretty cool if you are a wine geek like us (if not, feel free to skip to the tasting note at the bottom)…

-Porcheret

Domaine Douhairet-Porcheret is fascinating for a number of reasons, but the overarching one being that André Porcheret was not only the winemaker here, but also helped set up the greatest Burgundy estate of them all, Domaine Leroy, run by the incomparable Lalou Bize-Leroy (still going strong today at the age of 90). “But, mate, what about Domaine de la Romanée-Conti?” I hear the greenhorns whine. Tut tut. No, Lalou Bize-Leroy has a more impressive track record, as she was not only co-manager at DRC from 1974 until 1992, building its mighty reputation before going solo, but at Domaine Leroy she has produced some of the finest Burgundies ever bottled, made not only from Grand Cru vineyards (I received an offer this very morning for 3 bottles of her Romanée St Vivant 2001 for £10,000 a bottle!), but also from much more humble ‘Cotes de Beaune-Villages’ vineyards, which is why I maintain that hers is the greatest domaine of all and André Porcheret can take a huge amount of credit for that sucess. Moving on.

Douhairet-

Mademoiselle Armande Douhairet was the doyenne of the village of Monthelie and she took over the running of this 300 year-old domaine during World War II, living to the ripe old age of 98 (which she put down to a daily glass of Monthelie at lunchtime), but ‘Miss Armande’, as she was affectionately known, didn’t have any children to inherit the domaine, so she left it to her adoptive son, the aforementioned vigneron, André Porcheret, which is why the domaine now bears both their names.

Porcheret had been head winemaker at the famous Hospices de Beaune, building such a lofty reputation that, as mentioned, he was lured away to help set up Domaine Leroy. Porcheret converted the vineyards to organic and biodynamic farming, before returning to the Hospices from 1993 to 1999, but throughout this time he continued making the wine at Douhairet-Porcheret, following the very same principles and techniques he had established at Domaine Leroy. In 2004, when ‘Miss Armande’ sadly passed away, he installed his grand-daughter, Cataldina, to take over the domaine and she now works alongside her husband Vincent in the vineyards and the winery.

Enough of the geekery, onto the wine. Monthélie is the smallest village on the Côte de Beaune, with Volnay to the northeast, Meursault to the south and Auxey-Duresses to the southwest. At the time of writing, it produces mostly red wine, but white wine production is increasing, which comes as no surprise given its proximity to Meursault. The Cuvée ‘Miss Armande’ 2018 is a beautifully complex and intriguing Monthélie, with that wonderful flinty, struck match quality that you find in the best mineral-driven white Burgundies. An absolute classic with history to match.

Press review:

JancisRobinson.com: “A nice touch of struck match but it is delicate. Toasty and just the right amount of sulphides to add complexity yet not overpower the fruit. This is lovely and a really smart wine. Great freshness. (JH). Drink now-2027.” 17 points