If you're as infatuated with white Burgundy as I am, then you will appreciate today’s wine as much as I do. Prices for whites from the Côte de Beaune’s ‘big three’—Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet and Meursault—can turn stratospheric in a hurry, which is why Domaine du Grand Pré’s “Le Mont” is not merely a relief but a revelation: With each passing vintage, it feels more and more outdated to refer to Burgundy’s Mâconnais as an ‘alternative,’ or ‘outer-borough’ terroir.
Today’s 2016 is a perfect example of how prices have yet to catch up with quality in the Mâcon—and why so many of the Côte de Beaune’s big names have made investments there. The commune of Solutré-Pouilly may not be quite as famous as neighbors such as Fuissé (to the south) and Vergisson (north), but that may soon change if Grand Pré owner/winemaker Camille Paquet keeps turning out stunners like this: The 2016 Le Mont is round and rich, as Mâconnais wines are wont to be, but also displays tremendous mineral character and great tension. I’d wager that even the most experienced Burgundy tasters would sample this wine blind and label it a Côte de Beaune white costing twice as much. It’s that good. At this insane price-to-quality, it’s a wine to purchase by the case and drink often. When you put your nose in the glass you will understand what I mean.